Deming, one of the greatest management gurus, popularized the PDCA cycle, which stands for PLAN, DO, CHECK, ACT. Apart from its extensive usage in quality control procedures, the PDCA cycle was institutionalized in quality assurance when it was adopted as the fundamental basis for ISO certification in Qatar.
Contrary to popular belief, the Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycle is not exclusive to the CAPA process. Indeed, the PDCA cycle encompasses all of the components and standards of a quality assurance system. The PDCA cycle idea may be used in many facets of our everyday operations. We can use it casually as well as professionally. The PDCA cycle is infinite.
The PDCA Framework is cyclical and tries to enhance a process/project by repetition, adhering to the following phases of a management system as defined in Annex SL, a typical pattern for ISO guidelines:
PLAN
Planning is derived from the WH questions:
● What actions are required? Determine the activities necessary to enhance.
● How much work is required? Establish the objectives you wish to accomplish (compatible with client requirements and the organization’s policies or goals).
● Where is it necessary to perform? Determine the processes required to implement the improvements.
● Who should take care of it? Allocate the resources necessary to accomplish the objectives.
● When is it necessary to perform this task? Define the timeframes during which you wish to improve.
Planning should begin once you’ve determined precisely where improvement is required. That is, you should undertake your investigation before initiating the PDCA process. How do you organize your thoughts? There is no standardized method for planning.
Each organization’s planning should be guided by its particular environment or nature. However, there is one element that all companies have in common — the documentation of the strategy.
DO
Execute your plan. Distribute the plan to the appropriate people for implementation. Indeed, this is the difficult part. Transform words into actions. As a result, strive to make the strategy as precise, explicit, and thorough as possible.
Divide the aim into manageable objectives and then into manageable steps. Perhaps even explore co-writing the plan with the members so they can suggest acceptable activities. Make it easy for them to carry out the DO portion.
CHECK
Monitor and evaluate processes and products to ensure they are operating in accordance with the strategy, policies, objectives, and requirements. You’ve planned something and anticipate the outcome. You assigned resources and took action. Now is the time to analyze the data. Then, report your findings. This section is critical. You would then go to the following phase – ACT – based on the results.
ACT
Take appropriate steps and efforts to improve performance based on the results. Wherever you are dissatisfied with the outcomes, make them better! This is the stage during which you revise and enhance your plan.
Analyze the elements that contributed to your failure to meet your aims and try again in a different method. This is the process of continuous improvement. This is an endless loop. It can be slowed down, but it will never stop.
The PDCA cycle does not end there; after the four stages, it restarts, and inside the management system, we repeat the PLAN, DO, CHECK, ACT cycle. It is a cyclical technique that provides significant benefits to any business that implements it correctly.
