PDCA is the most common method because of its simplicity, or because it is easy to map to existing continuous improvement efforts in the organization. It was invented to improve the manufacturing process, but is now used in a variety of processes, including enterprise processes such as information security. It is actually a mandatory method and is the 2005 version of iso27001.
Origin of PDCA
The PDCA cycle is also known as the Deming Cycle because it was popularized by William Edwards Deming who was an American productivity consultant lived from 1900 to 1993. After World War II, Deming himself promoted his cycle of improvement during a visit to Japan. He developed his ideas on the basis of the work of Walter Shewhart, and called his cycles the Walter Shewhart.
Plan: identify opportunities and plan for change.
Do: test changes. Small scale pilot project.
Check: review the test, analyze the results, and determine what you have learned.
Action: take action based on what you learn in the check phase.
If the adjustment is not successful, a new strategy is proposed and carried over to the next cycle.
If you're doing well, incorporate what you learn from testing into a broader implementation. Start the cycle over with what you've found and plan for new changes.
