The PDCA loop is a well-known management tool that is widely used to initiate changes and improvement processes. It stands for the Plan-Execute-Check-Action (PDCA) cycle (also known as the Daming Cycle or Daming Wheel) because it was developed by the renowned management scholar - William Edward Deming.
Problems usually accumulate over time, and if you make continuous improvement strategy a normal part of corporate culture, you can really avoid many serious problems. In fact, PDCA is a continuous cycle of planning, execution, inspection and action designed for this purpose, which makes PDCA the best tool for enterprises to seek business continuous improvement.
What is PDCA?
PDCA cycle is a four-step process of implementing change and continuous improvement of the system. The use of the plan-do-check-act cycle allows the project to be broken down into small manageable steps and allows gradual incremental changes.
P (Planning) : In this step, the changes that need to be made are defined by explicitly specifying the target. In addition to set goals, there must be an action plan to achieve them. The action plan usually includes the steps to be taken, the time frame, and the person responsible for implementing the plan.
D (Doing): In this step, planning is translated into action through implementation. Data collection is also part of this step.
C (Checking) : In this step, the actual results are compared with the expected results. The degree of change in the plan was analyzed.
A (Acting) : In this step, taking measures to correct the process after the deviation is found. This is done by analyzing the cause of the deviation and proposing corrective actions.
If the 4 steps have been completed, the cycle repeats again. Continuous progress is made in this way.
