PDCA (Plan Do Check Act)

by | Jan 30, 2020

PDCA is the acronym for the phases of a continuous improvement cycle: Plan-Do-Check-Act

  • Plan: what should be done and how to do it
  • Do: what was planned
  • Check: whether you’ve achieved what you intended
  • Act: if necessary in order to get to better results processes

PDCA has the purpose to implement changes and to continuously improve processes. It is a systematic approach to sustainably improve processes or products and a way to quickly fix problems. PDCA uses multiple tools known from DMAIC, e.g. Fishbone

Relation to DMAIC: It is similar in structure, but a process for continuous improvement and not a method for managing projects

PDCA supports

  • DMAIC in the Improve and Control phases
  • Kaizen in the implementation of changes
  • Standard Work in the improvement of standards