Plan: Here you want to identify what the problem/issue is, then perform an analysis of this problem so you can test it and how it is affecting your bottom line. So if you do the preceding, you would identify the problem and understand the root cause of the problem, using data collected to decide which of the possible causes is the true root cause.

Do: This is where you will test or experiment with possible solutions and figure out which one is the best possible solution. Do small experiments to figure out quickly what changes are needed, then you can always go back on a bigger scale after you’ve gauged the improvements results on the smaller scale. Then you can measure the solution you have chosen to its full potential, and of course measure the resolved results.

Check: Here you are going to compare the results using before and after data that you have collected. Analyze the results and measure how effective the improvements were, and then make the supported hypothesis of whether or not the solutions used reached the desired objectives.

Act: Here you document the data from the results you obtained. Inform your team about the process changes, show the data if need be. Make suggestions if other process changes are needed. 

This is just a brief explanation of how to work the PDCA template. For more information on For more information on our on-demand online classes or our virtual classrooms, please visit 6sigma.com. 

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What is PDCA in Six Sigma?

The Deming Cycle, also known as the PDCA (Plan-do-check-act) circle is one of the oldest models in the manufacturing world. It was a model that encourages continuous improvement and was first introduced to the world by W. Edwards Deming way back in the 1950s.

He stated that every organization needs to have a continuous feedback loop in place so that management can pinpoint and deal with areas that need to be improved on. To explain his point further, he introduced the PDCA (Plan-do-check-act) circle which is a very systematic approach which can easily be followed by anyone to deal with problems.

Plan

There are three steps involved at this stage and the first one is investigating and knowing the current situation a business is in, understand the problems and highlight areas that need to be improved. The easiest way to do all of this is to use things like value stream mapping as well as flowcharts. These two will make life very easy for managers to know what is happening.

Step number two is to analyze the problem at hand in the organization. This is where management, as well as the employees, can gather as well as interpret information. The main tools which they can use to make things easy include things like spider charts, column chart, control charts, and a scatter plot. To better understand the root of the problem, an organization can use cause-effect methods and even brainstorming.

Step number three is to develop solutions to the problems at hand. There is no point letting problems drag on without dealing with them because they can slow down the operations of an organization. The sooner problems are dealt with, the better.

Do

This is where the team at an organization go ahead and implement any improvements that were drafted in the planning process. While implementing things, the management and employees can put any problems encountered as well as any knowledge and lessons learned in writing. Changes will have to be tested first before any medication to the organizational policies or systems are made.

Check

When management and employees at a particular organization see that their project is finished, they can make a list of solutions and problems as pointed above and study them carefully. This involved carefully analyzing to get a clear picture of the outcomes to make sure this does not happen again. Information collected is compared properly especially new with the old to understand whether there have been improvements or not.

The best way to check if improvements are being made in an organization is to use things such as radar charts, control charts, runs charts, column charts, and control charts. If no one the organization has experience interpreting data collected, an external auditor can be hired to make sense of things.

It is better to do things this way (hire external help) than trying to interpret something that no one in the ranks understands. This is risky because false conclusions can bring in their fair share of problems like implementing the wrong method to deal with a certain issue.

This can lead to a waste of time, resources and money which is the last things a business wants especially if improving is their goal. It is better to be safe and get help when needed than to be sorry and this is the approach many successful organizations take if they want to make sense of charts in front of them.

Act

When all the steps above have been successfully followed, it is time for an organization to take action to improve. Options at their disposal include things like adapting, abandoning and adopting. If the proposed improvement does not yield the desired results, an organization can always go back to step one and come up with other news ways or areas to improve.

Overall PDCA (Plan-do-check-act) is all about establishing methods or processes that a business needs to get the best results with the resources at their disposal. Solutions need to be drawn up, checked and acted upon. Results need to be closely monitored as well as if they do not work, its back to the drawing board and come up with new ones.

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It’s broken down as follows:

P (Plan): Identify your problem and find the root cause using the 5 Whys.

D (Do): After you’ve identified your problem and found the root cause, now brainstorm possible solutions. Test the solution you believe has the most potential. Do a small pilot test.

C (Check): Now you must assess your findings on that small pilot test. If you find that improvement is needed, then go ahead and make the necessary changes and repeat the “check” phase once again.

A (Act): This is the last step when you implement the solution in its entirety.

The advantages of using the PDCA cycle are:

• Encourages continuous improvements
• Less wasted time
• Fosters working as a team
• Cost effective

This simple template can be a great help on Thanksgiving while preparing the family dinner. Since most of the preparation usually falls on one person, this simple tool can make this interactive and fun!

Happy Thanksgiving 2018 from all of us at 6Sigma.com. For more information on our Lean Six Sigma Green belt Training courses and services, please visit 6sigma.com. 

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The Effectiveness of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle

The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is a popular business management method to achieve continuous improvement in an organization. It is widely implemented as a part of a tool within larger improvement methodologies, or as a stand-alone approach to quality control and change management.

The PDCA cycle was popularized by Dr. W. Edwards Deming, and is sometimes referred to as the Deming cycle. It was loosely based on the scientific process, which starts with a hypothesis, continues with an experiment, and finishes with analysis and a conclusion. Those steps correspond to the first three steps of the process. Since the cycle needs to lead to actual results, the last step is meant for taking action and making changes.

But in order to really understand the PDCA cycle and why it works so well, we need to first look at each step in more detail.

Step 1: Plan

The cycle begins by establishing a hypothesis about a possible improvement. In reality this step of the process can actually be broken down to two sub-steps. The first thing that needs to be done is outlining a clear problem, or imperfection in the current state of affairs. The second thing that needs to be done is making a plan for fixing it. The plan should not only induce the changes that need to be made, but a step-by-step implementation strategy as well. Remember, most of the Plan phase is to investigate what is going on, determine the causes, and identify possible solutions. Most of your time should be spent on Plan, otherwise you will be guessing and having to go back through the PDCA cycle multiple times.

Step 2: Do

After the blueprints for the solution of the particular problem are ready, they can be implemented so their effectiveness can be tested. This means not just making a particular change and being done with it, but monitoring it continuously while the experiment is going on, and recording as much data about the change being made. Collecting data on the correct metrics provide the evidence needed to determine if it truly is working or not.

Step 3: Check

After the test has been running for a while, the company should have enough information on how the proposed and provisionally implemented change affected the problem. This data needs to be analyzed, and the results need to be measured compared to the hypothesis from Step 1. This allows you to determine the effectiveness of the implemented solution.

Step 4: Act

In this last step of the cycle, the conclusions made from the test can be put to practice. If the tested solution has some significant outcomes and is cost-effective, it should be implemented. If not, another one must be investigated or a more economical solution needs to be identified. Either way, it’s important to remember that this step is only nominally last, and it is not the end of the process. The cycle should be repeated again and again, and should lead to constant improvement. This will help drive a culture of continuous improvement.

What Makes the PDCA Cycle Effective?

The PDCA Cycle gives an easy to understand framework for iterative improvement. It depends on real-life experiments (not educated guesses), and forces teams to review the data and evidence in order to draw conclusions. Being based on the scientific method, this cycle can be viewed as an approach that has proven itself, and that can reliably produce improvement.

One of the main benefits of implementing a PDCA cycle is that there is a clear separation between each iteration that is tested, allowing for true causality to be established. This will inevitably lead to a reduction in waste, and increase productivity in the long run. The processes becomes better and better understood, and more and more problems are uncovered and solved.

Making the PDCA cycle a part of the way a company operates minimizes the risk when implementing change by increasing control. It also establishes a commitment to constant betterment and improvement that allows a company to remain competitive, and to constantly improve and adapt.

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