The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, briefly explained, is a model for the implementation of change. It is an integral aspect of the theory of lean manufacturing and a vital requirement for people and processes to be constantly improved. The PDCA cycle, first suggested by Walter Shewhart and eventually evolved by William Deming, became a major method for continuous improvements in production, management, and many other fields. PDCA loops are especially effective for the following reasons:
Helps to incorporate quality control plans and often helps to strengthen processes.
Exploring and piloting a variety of alternatives to challenges in a managed fashion before choosing one for execution.
Large-scale rollouts of unproven pending solutions can waste significant amounts of money and resources, so commissioning tests can prevent resource waste.
What is PDCA?
PDCA cycle helps you solve problems and develop solutions in a structured and systematic way, breaking down any process or product into smaller stages to improve it. In this way, the team can eliminate recurring errors and optimize the process. They are described as follows:
Plan - Define the issue, compile relevant information, understand the root cause of the issue, establish theories on what the problem may be, and determine which one to try.
Do - Execute solutions; identify steps to assess their success, test possible solutions, and measure outcomes.
Check - Validate the findings by comparing the details before and after. Review the conclusions, assess the relevance and decide whether the theory is supported.
Act - record the results, remind others to improve the solution if the solution is effective, and make suggestions on the future PDCA cycle to expand the scope of implementation, or modify the original plan in other ways to solve the problem.
