The PDCA cycle is a four-step methodology for business process improvement that consists of Plan, Do, Check, and Act. It can be applied at both strategic and operational levels, with a focus on continuous improvement across various ISO management systems. The document outlines the key components of the PDCA cycle and emphasizes the importance of each stage in achieving successful outcomes.

1. The PDCA cycle
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2. What is the PDCA cycle?
It is a 4-step methodology for business process improvement – and is sometimes
referred to as the improvement cycle.
Plan Establish objectives and how they will be achieved
Do Put the plan into effect
Check Verify that the process achieved the desired results
Act Analyse any differences and their causes. Take action to
improve things.
The PDCA cycle is an iterative process - so repeat to continue achieving improvement.

3. It can be applied at a strategic level – for the overall management
system.
OR
An operational level – for an individual process.
On the strategic level, all current ISO management system standards
are based on the concept of the PDCA cycle.

4. PLAN DO CHECK ACT
4. Context of the
organisation
5. Leadership 6. Planning for the
QMS
7. Support 8. Operation 9. Performance
evaluation
10. Improvement
4.1 Understanding
the organization
and its context
5.1 Leadership and
commitment
6.1 Actions to
address risks and
opportunities
7.1 Resources 8.1 Operational
planning and
control
9.1 Monitoring,
measurement,
analysis and
evaluation
10.1 General
4.2 Understanding
the needs and
expectations of
interested parties
5.2 Quality policy 6.2 Quality
objectives and
planning to achieve
them
7.2 Competence 8.2 Determination
of requirements for
products & services
9.2 Internal audit 10.2 Nonconformity
and corrective
action
4.3 Determining the
scope of the QMS
5.3 Organizational
roles,
responsibilities and
authorities
6.3 Planning of
changes
7.3 Awareness 8.3 Design and
development of
products & services
9.3 Management
review
10.3 Continual
improvement
4.4 QMS and its
processes
7.4 Communication 8.4 Control of
externally provided
products & services
7.5 Documented
information
8.5 Production and
service provision
8.6 Release of
products & services
8.7 Control of
nonconforming
process outputs,
products & services
For example, this is the clause structure of ISO 9001

5. The same principle applies to other ISO management system standards on different
topics:

6. Context: Overall management system
PLAN
Policies
Objectives / targets / KPIs
Legal & regulatory requirements
Assigning responsibility & authority
Procedures
Project plans
Risk Assessment
DO
Training / competence
Work as per plans and procedures
Use of equipment and resources
Infrastructure
Work environment
Purchasing
Record keeping
ACT
Reporting nonconformity
Dealing with surface problems
Root cause analysis
Corrective action
Responses to feedback
CHECK
Monitoring
Measuring
Customer / employee surveys
Internal audits
Management review
Complaints and other feedback
Supplier assessments
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7. The Planning Stage
Planning your system could involve:
• Setting up an Organisation chart
• Preparing Job descriptions or Role Statements
• A List of authorities – concisely indicating who can
do what
• Establishing and regularly reviewing a register of
relevant standards / legislation
• Establishing policies
• Communicating those policies to workers and
other interested parties
• Setting measurable objectives for the organisation
and business units
• Setting Targets or KPIs for individuals
• Establishing forms of contract – price lists, fee
structures, terms and conditions
• Establishing plans for specific projects
• Risk controls to eliminate the cause(s) of potential
problems
• Change management
• Facilitating a suitable work environment and
infrastructure
• Documentation
• Document management
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8. Doing it
Implementing the system could include:
• Ensuring that work is performed by adequately
trained and competent people
• Supervision where necessary
• Performing work in accordance with plans,
contracts, and procedures
• Ensuring that procedures and other documents are
available where needed
• Maintaining control of subcontracted services and
purchased items
• Keeping records of important activities
• Taking care not to have nonconforming processes,
products or services
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9. Checking the plan has worked in practice
Checking could mean any form of monitoring or
measurement activity. In quality systems it might include:
• Asking customers about their satisfaction with a
product or service – perhaps via a survey
• Monitoring using any of the senses – visual inspection,
listening, tasting, smelling, feeling
• Monitoring or measuring with equipment – in which
case the equipment may need appropriate care and
calibration
• Other feedback loops – such as product reviews or
media articles, complaints or returned goods, requests
for refunds etc.
• An important pro-active check is performing Internal
audits to verify that procedures and plans are being
followed in practice – and are effective.
• A periodic review of the system by top management
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10. Acting on any issues found
Where a check finds discrepancies between the plan
and what was done, we need to analyse the cause(s)
and act to improve the situation. A discrepancy may
be referred to as a nonconformance.
• Action to fix a nonconformity
This is action taken to rectify the immediate problem
• Corrective action
This is action to eliminate the cause or causes of
the nonconformance.
Sometimes we find that a problem only occurs
when two or more contributing factors combine.
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11. Summary
The PDCA cycle may be applied on a strategic
(management system) or operational level e.g. to
individual projects, contracts or activities.
Plan - what is intended.
Do – put it into practice.
Check – what happened matched what was planned.
Act – on any differences to rectify problems and address
the cause(s).
It is a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement.
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12. Qudos3 is the comprehensive
software solution for all phases of the
PDCA cycle in your management
system.
Want to see a demo?
Contact us now - details below.
Qudos Management Pty. Ltd.
Quality | OHS | Environment | Information Security
Web: qudos-software.com
Email: info@qudos-software.com
+61 (07) 3360 0226 or 13 000 QUDOS