PDCA Cycle

1. PDCA Cycle | Plan
Do Check Act |
Implementation

2. PDCA CYCLE
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FREE
TUTORIAL

3. What is the PDCA cycle in TQM?
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 The full name is the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle and it is one of the popular Problem
Solving Method and Continuous Improvement Methodology.
 It is often referred to as the Deming wheel or Deming cycle.
 Shewhart and Deming are recognized as pioneers in the Quality Management
movement.
 Shewhart introduced the PDSA cycle, (Plan-Do-Study-Act).
 He believed that data analysis is an essential part of any improvement effort and
checking does not necessarily imply an in-depth study.

4. What is the PDCA model of
continuous improvement?
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 PDCA is widely recognized as the basis of continually improving the Quality of
Products processes, and services and also it is a simple structured approach
for solving quality-related problems. It may be necessary to solve the problem
permanently and reach the ultimate goal state.
 Used to verify the feasibility of a proposed idea whether it is an incremental or a
breakthrough improvement.
 Plan-Do-Check-Act approach is the base for TQM, ISO 9001:2015 Quality
Management System Standard, A3 thinking methodology, and IATF
16949:2016 Automotive QMS Standard.
 This methodology relies on trial and error, however, it keeps on improving until
it achieves excellence.
 It is one of the most popular Lean Manufacturing Tool across the manufacturing
industries.

5. Continuous Improvement Cycle
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6. What are the four steps in the PDCA
cycle?
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1. Plan – A change aimed at improvement
2. Do – Carry out the change
3. Check – Study the results
4. Act – Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon

7. Four Phases of PDCA Cycle
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8. How to Implement the PDCA Cycle?
Example:
Implementation of Plan Phase:
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There are four sub-phases are available in the planning phase which is explained
below in sequence:
1. Select Improvement Opportunity
2. Analyze Current Situation
3. Identify Root Causes
4. Generate and Choose Solution

9. [1] Select Improvement Opportunity:
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 Generate a list and select
 Redefine team
 Write problem / opportunity / aim statement
 Describe the problem
 Management review
 The team selects the problem to be solved (to be improved)
 The problem and objectives are clearly identified
 The current situation is analyzed.
 Solution alternatives are identified, selected and scheduled

10. [2] Analyze Current Situation:
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 Define the process/problem to be solved
 Identify the customer(s).
 Prepare Baseline data
 Check any Performance gaps are available?
 Look at benchmarks, standards, regulatory requirements
 Validate problem and statement
 Management review

11. [3] Identify Root Causes:
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 This is a very very important step
 Utilize the Cause and Effect Diagram (Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram, or Why-
Why analysis to identify the most likely cause(s).
 Use Genchi Gembutsu Method
 Select root cause
 Management review

12. [4] Generate and Choose Solutions:
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 Generate a list and select solutions
 Directly linked to root cause & supported by data
 Team brainstorming and shared decision making
 Be honest about barriers
 Choose the best solution based on criteria
 Define and map out a solution
 Develop solution(s) to remove the root cause(s)
 Select the best solution(s) to remove the root cause(s)
 Verify that effectiveness of the selected solutions
 Verify that selected solutions do not cause any undesirable effects
 Set a Target that you want to achieve

13. Implementation of Do Phase:
[5] Map Out and Implement a Trial Run:
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 Map out a trial run
 Communication and education/training are key factors
 Be specific
 Implement a trial run
 Ensure all the countermeasures are completed
 It involves collecting data for later analysis
 It ensures the solution is appropriately tested
Implementation of Check Phase:
 The check phase has two sub-phases which are mentioned below.
6. Analyze the Results
7. Draw Conclusions

14. [6] Analyze the Results:
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 Evaluate results based on collected data
 Team-based analysis
 Objective and subjective data
 Revisit the process as it was mapped out
 Be honest!
 Evaluate both Results and Process
 Involves analyzing the collected data and comparing the actual results against the
planned objectives.
 Allows discussing whether further improvements are possible
 You may have to repeat the Do and Check a number of times until you get the optimum
results

15. [7] Draw Conclusions:
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 Team-based discussion
 Was the root cause eliminated?
 What worked?
 Did the desired change occur?
 What didn’t work?
 What could be improved/changed?
 Implement the best solution(s) to remove the root cause(s)
 What did we learn?
 Implement the best solution(s) to address the escape point(s)
 Validate the effectiveness of the implemented solutions by Customer's perspective
 Monitor the effectiveness of the implemented solutions and assure that they do not
cause any undesirable effects
 Remove Interim Containment Actions
Implementation of Act Phase:
The last phase is the act phase and it has two sub-phases as mentioned below.
8. Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon the Intervention
9. Monitor; Hold the gains

16. [8] Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon the
Intervention:
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 Team-based discussion and beyond
 Test again on a larger scale?
 Communication, education, and training
 Revise plan and repeat trial
 Communication, education, and training
 Revisit root cause analysis and/or list of solutions
 Need additional/new members on the team?
 Involves acting on the feedback and lessons learned and implementing the solution
 It is also concerned with: Standardizing, Documenting, Sustaining the improved
process
 Integrating it into the organization’s system.

17. [9] Monitor; Hold the gains:
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 Standardize the change
 Change to department policy?
 Continue to monitor improvement
 Same data collection tools and process
 Continue reporting to staff and management
 Move to new improvement opportunity
 Standardize Success and Learn from Failures

18. Useful Tools for PDCA Cycle:
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 There are several useful tools of the PDCA Cycle is mentioned in the below picture.

19. What are the benefits of the PDCA
cycle?
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• PDCA approach encourages the way of problem-solving and implementing solutions
• PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach ensures that you plan, test, and include
feedback before you start full-scale implementation
• Repeating the PDCA_Cycle frequently will help to implement Kaizen and other
continuous improvement initiatives.
• PDCA_approach brings you closer to your goals as knowledge is increased: from
solving problems, from failures, from the feedback received.
• This approach Improves the critical thinking skills of your team

20. THANKS!
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