PDSA CYCLE

The PDSA Cycle (Plan-Do-Study-Act) is a systematic process for gaining valuable learning and knowledge
for the continual improvement of a product, process, or service. Also known as the Deming Wheel, or
Deming Cycle, this integrated learning - improvement model was first introduced to Dr. Deming by his
mentor, Walter Shewhart of the famous Bell Laboratories in New York.

What is PDSA cycle in quality management?

The PDCA/PDSA cycle is a continuous loop of planning, doing, checking (or
studying), and acting. It provides a simple and effective approach for solving
problems and managing change. The model is useful for testing improvement
measures on a small scale before updating procedures and working practices.

The cycle begins with the Plan step. This involves identifying a goal or purpose,
formulating a theory, defining success metrics and putting a plan into action.
These activities are followed by the Do step, in which the components of the plan
are implemented, such as making a product. Next comes the Study step, where outcomes are monitored
to test the validity of the plan for signs of progress and success, or problems and areas for improvement.
The Act step closes the cycle, integrating the learning generated by the entire process, which can be
used to adjust the goal, change methods, reformulate a theory altogether, or broaden the learning –
improvement cycle from a small-scale experiment to a larger implementation Plan. These four steps can
be repeated over and over as part of a never-ending cycle of continual learning and improvement.

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Worksheet is a useful tool for documenting a test of change. The PDSA
cycle is shorthand for testing a change by developing a plan to test the change (Plan), carrying out the
test (Do), observing and learning from the consequences (Study), and determining what modifications
should be made to the test (Act).

Background

Used in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s "Methods and Tools for Breakthrough
Improvement" course, the PDSA Worksheet has been used by hundreds of health care organizations.

Directions
Use the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Worksheet to help your team document a test of change. Fill out one
PDSA Worksheet for each test you conduct. Your team will test several different changes, and each
change will go through several PDSA cycles. Keep a file (either electronic or hard copy) of all PDSA
Worksheets for all changes your team tests.

Stages in PDSA Cycle

Plan: Plan a change. Under this stage, you define the objective and subsequently intend to answer all
the other questions. Planning stage implies to,

 Identify the problem

Do: In this stage components of the plan are implemented, such as developing or product or service.
And Do stage implies,

 To start implementation of the action plan

Study: Outcomes are monitored to test the validity of the plan against the goal and objectives. Study
stage implies to,

 Analyze the data collected

Act: The Act step ends the cycle by integrating the learning generated by the entire process. Act stage
implies to,

 Communicate the results and determine if plan worked

altogether

Stages in PDCA Cycle

A PDCA stands for Plan Do Check Act Cycle also called as Shewhart cycle. Mr. Walter A. Shewart first
introduced PDCA in 1939 in one of his books and there after it was Dr. Deming who emphasized it has to
be changed to PDSA in 1950’s. Dr. Deming encouraged a systematic approach of not just checking, but
of problem solving to improve the process of products and services and promoted the now widely
recognized four step process PDSA, for continual improvement.

 Major changes that one can identify are in the 3rd stage of the process, such as
 Check stage implies a simple Yes-No response whereas Study stage implies a much deeper
analysis of what went wrong.
 Study also implies that you could gather a lot from something that has not worked as expected,
whereas check doesn’t suggest that as much.
 PDCA was to be used for more straightforward improvement situations, and PDSA was to be
applied in more complex scenarios when metrics need more extensive reflections

Benefits of PDSA Cycle

PDSA works well when you are establishing new processes.

A PDSA is repetitive approach, and it helps you apply learning on a small scale first and gradually scaling
up the volumes.

PDSA works well on new product development.

PDSA can quickly help identify non-value added resources and find ways to reduce while saving cost to
the company.

PDSA is a continuous improvement and development tool.

PDSA lends itself well to high-volume process, where change can make a significant difference to
effectiveness and quality of output.

Problem-solving process: Works well in cases where there are plenty of data to analyze and evaluate.
When to Use PDCA

The PDCA/PDSA framework works well in all types of organizations. It can be used to improve any
process or product, by breaking them down into smaller steps or development stages, and exploring
ways to improve each one.

It's particularly helpful for implementing Total Quality Management or Six Sigma initiatives, and for
improving business processes generally.

However, going through the PDCA/PDSA cycle can be much slower than a straightforward, "gung ho"
implementation. So, it might not be the appropriate approach for dealing with an urgent problem.

It also requires significant buy-in from team members, and offers fewer opportunities for radical
innovation – which may be what your organization needs instead.

How to Use PDCA to Improve Personal Performance

While PDCA/PDSA is an effective business tool, you can also use it to improve your own performance:

First, Plan: Identify what's holding you back personally, and how you want to progress. Look at the root
causes of any issues, and set goals to overcome these obstacles.

Next, Do: When you've decided on your course of action, safely test different ways of getting the
results that you want.

Then, Check: Review your progress regularly, adjust your behavior accordingly, and consider the
consequences of your actions.

Finally, Act: Implement what's working, continually refine what isn't, and carry on the cycle of
continuous improvement.

Key Points

The PDCA/PDSA cycle is a continuous loop of planning, doing, checking (or studying), and acting. It
provides a simple and effective approach for solving problems and managing change. The model is
useful for testing improvement measures on a small scale before updating procedures and working
practices.
  The approach begins with a Planning phase in which problems are clearly identified and
understood, and a theory for improvement is defined. Potential solutions are tested on a small
scale in the Do phase, and the outcome is then studied and Checked.
 Go through the Do and Check stages as many times as necessary before the full, polished
solution is implemented, in the Act phase of the cycle.

Tools for Plan

1. Customer/Supplier mapping

2. Flow charting

3. Pareto Analysis/Chart

4. Brainstorming

5. Cause and effect diagram

Tools for Do Stage

1. Small group leadership

2. Experimental design

3. Conflict resolution

4. On the Job training

Tools for Check

1. Key performance indicators

2. Graphical analysis

3. data check sheet

Tools for Act

1. process standardization

2. formal training

3. process mapping