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PDCA Cycle

The PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle is a tool for continuous improvement. [1] It involves planning a change, doing it, checking the results, and acting on what is learned. [2] The plan phase identifies an improvement area and specific problems, while the do phase implements changes on a small scale. [3] The check phase evaluates the results, and act makes the improvements standard procedure across the organization.

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291 views3 pages

PDCA Cycle

The PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle is a tool for continuous improvement. [1] It involves planning a change, doing it, checking the results, and acting on what is learned. [2] The plan phase identifies an improvement area and specific problems, while the do phase implements changes on a small scale. [3] The check phase evaluates the results, and act makes the improvements standard procedure across the organization.

Uploaded by

mosa2486
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PDCA CYCLE

One of the important tools of Continuous Improvement (CI) philosophy is the PDCA (plan-
do-check-act) Cycle, often called the Deming Wheel, which conveys the sequential
and continual nature of the CI process.

4. Act 1. Plan

3. Check
2. Do

The PLAN phase of the cycle is where an improvement area (sometimes called a theme) and a
specific problem with it are identified. It is also where the analysis is done.Table below gives a CI
example using the 5W2H method. ( 5W2H stands for what, where, when, who, how and how
much.)

The 5W2H Method

COUNTER-
TYPE 5W2H Description
MEASURE
Subject What is being done?
What?
Matter Can this task be eliminated? Eliminate
Why is this task necessary? unnecessary task.
Purpose Why?
Clarify the purpose.
Location Where? Where is it being done? Change the sequence
Does it have to be done there? or combination.
When is the best time to do it?
Sequence When?
Does it have to be done then?
Who is doing it?
People Who? Should someone else do it?
Why am I doing it?
How is it being done?
Method How? Is this the best method? Simplify the task.
Is there some other way?
How How much does it cost now? Select an
Cost
Much? What will the cost be after improvement/ improvement method.

The DO phase of the PDCA cycle deals with implementing the change. Experts usually
recommend that the plan be done on a small scale first, and that any changes in the plan be
documented. (Check sheets are useful here, too.)

The CHECK phase deals with evaluating data collected during the implementation. The objective
is to see if there is a good fit between the original goal and the actual results.

During the ACT phase, the improvement is codified as the new standard procedure and replicated
in similar processes throughout the organization.

The group- level CI process is frequently represented as if we were developing a story-board for a
movie. Table below, for example, summarize the steps just discussed as “QI (Quality
Improvement) story”.

QI Step Function Tools


PLAN ♦ Decide theme for improvement. “Next processes are our
♦ Make clear why the theme is customers.”
selected. ♦ Standardization.
1. Select theme.
♦ Education.
♦ Immediate remedy
versus recurrence
prevention.

2. Group the ♦ Collect data. ♦ Check sheet.


current situation. ♦ Find the key characteristics of the ♦ Histogram.
theme. ♦ Pareto.
♦ Narrow done the problem area.
♦ Establish priorities: serious
problems first.
♦ List all possible causes of the ♦ Fishbone.
most serious problems. ♦ Check sheet.
♦ Study the relations between ♦ Scatter diagram.
possible causes and between ♦ Stratification.
3. Conduct causes & problems.
analysis. ♦ Select some causes and establish
hypotheses about possible
relations.
♦ Collect data and study cause-and-
effect relations.
4. Devise ♦ Devise counter-measures to ♦ Intrinsic technology.
counter- eliminate the causes(s) of a ♦ Experience.
measures. problem.
♦ Implement countermeasures.
DO
(Experiment.)
5. Confirm the ♦ Collect data on the effects of the ♦ SPC Tools.
effect of counter- counter-measures.
measures. ♦ Do before – after comparison.
CHECK
♦ Amend the existing standards
6. Standardize
according to the counter-
the counter-
measures whose effects are
measures.
confirmed.
7. Identify the
remaining
ACT problems and
evaluate the
whole procedure.

Problem Solving Tools of QC or Techniques for solving QC problems

1. The Pareto Diagram.


2. The Cause-and-effect Diagram.
3. Control Charts. (e.g. for variables).
4. Tally Sheets for defects, or causes of defects.
5. Scatter Diagrams (to show simple correlations between two variables).
6. Binomial probability tables (to determine whether statistically significant changes have
taken place in a variable).
7. A variety of other types of graphs, including line, bar, pie charts and monographs.

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