PDCA Continuous Improvement – Deming Cycle.

The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) continuous improvement cycle, also known as the Deming Cycle or the PDCA cycle, is a process used to continuously improve products, processes, and systems. It is a systematic and iterative approach that involves four key steps:

Plan: The first step in the PDCA cycle is to identify the problem or opportunity for improvement and to develop a plan to address it. This involves defining the problem, gathering data, and identifying potential solutions.
Do: The second step is to implement the plan and test the solution. This involves carrying out the planned actions and collecting data to measure the effectiveness of the solution.
Check: The third step is to evaluate the results of the solution and determine its effectiveness. This involves analyzing the data and determining whether the solution has achieved the desired results.
Act: The final step is to take action based on the results of the evaluation. If the solution has been effective, it should be implemented and integrated into the process. If it has not been effective, the process should be repeated, starting with the planning stage.

The PDCA continuous improvement cycle is a useful tool for organizations that want to continuously improve their products, processes, and systems. It is a systematic and structured approach that helps organizations to identify problems, develop and test solutions, and implement effective changes.

This is a crash course in the PDCA continuous improvement cycle. It is also known by other names such as the Deming cycle, PDSA Cycle and Shewhart cycle. If you aren’t familiar with PDCA it stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act.

Kaizen, Lean and Deming Quotes

“Management of a system requires knowledge of the interrelationships between all of the components within the system and of everybody that works in it.” ~W. Edwards Deming
“I’m proud to be Japanese and I wanted my country to succeed. I believed my system was a way that could help us become a modern industrial nation. That is why I had no problem with sharing it with other Japanese companies, even my biggest competitors.” ~Taiichi Ohno
“To copy is to invite disaster.” ~W. Edwards Deming
“Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new.” ~Bob Parsons
“Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your product and service, and that bring friends with them.” ~W. Edwards Deming
“What’s the difference between PDCA and PDSA? Deming preferred to use Study instead of Check.”
“I am not reporting things about people. I am reporting things about practices.” ~W. Edwards Deming
“If your business isn’t continuously improving then it’s slowly dying. Or it could be quickly dying.” ~Dave Waters
“It takes great effort to follow the rules of a pull system … thus a half-hearted introduction of a pull system brings a hundred harms and not a single gain.” ~Taiichi Ohno
“Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends.” ~Brian Tracy