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The PDCA method is a means used by companies to improve their processes, products, and services. This cycle is not only about specific problems, but about the implementation of a culture of continuous improvement.
To better understand the concept, think about the following situation: Pedro is the sales manager of an e-commerce. In the last month, the number of requests has plummeted. Customers who usually make purchases every 15 days suddenly disappeared. When analyzing some indicators, Pedro saw that the indicator related to customer satisfaction dropped dramatically.
So, Pedro decided to meet with the customer service team to understand what may be happening. Analyzing some data, it was noticed that the main complaint of customers is the delay in delivery. The manager begins to research the issue further and discovers that there is a flaw in the sales process, which has recently been adapted.
There is no doubt that it will be necessary to act yesterday, because, otherwise, the company’s cash, which is already asking for help, will suffer even more.
Thus, Pedro and the team decided to develop an action plan and implement the PDCA cycle.
What is PDCA?
Plan, Do, Act and Check, from the initials of each word, we have the acronym PDCA.
Developed in the 1950s by management consultant Dr. William Edwards Deming, when we talk about PDCA, we refer to a very important quality tool.
Known as the Shewhart Cycle, the Deming Cycle, or PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act), PDCA came about because Deming wanted to create a solution to help companies develop hypotheses about what needs to change and then test them in a continuous feedback loop. Hence the term “PDCA cycle”.
It is a four-stage iterative approach that aims to continuously improve processes, products, or services, and is an excellent tool for problem solving.
The PDCA methodology is widely used by companies that wish to improve their management levels with the efficient control of processes and internal and external activities, standardizing information and minimizing the chances of errors in decision-making.
Because it is a continuous feedback loop, once implemented, PDCA becomes a constant in the company, since its main objective is continuous improvement.
Applications and advantages of the PDCA cycle
The PDCA Cycle can improve any process or product, being applicable in numerous situations. In the field of technology, for example, the methodology of plan, do, act, and verify is used to analyze the software development lifecycle.
In the manufacturing and services industry, the tool is used for the development of new products. Project management also enjoys its benefits.
These are just a few examples, the method can be used in several other departments or segments to obtain advantages such as:
- Helps in the implementation of Total or Six Sigma Quality Management initiatives;
- Assists in the continuous improvement of processes;
- Avoids the waste of resources;
- It is replicable: from the moment a new technique or process method is successfully verified and analyzed, the company can expand the method already knowing the results to be expected;
- Explores a range of solutions to problems;
- It allows the company to test a small-scale process change before investing in a method that may not work or will require adjustments.
- Contributes to cost reduction.
A very important application of the PDCA Cycle is in Goal Management. Remember Pedro’s story? Well, the customer satisfaction indicators were much lower than expected, which ended up interfering with sales and profitability goals.
By applying PDCA, an action plan is developed to correct the deviations that are hindering the achievement of goals. That is, the good relationship between planned and realized is guaranteed.
How the PDCA Cycle works
As we have seen, the methodology has four phases that must be followed:
Plan
This is where the PDCA Cycle begins. In this first phase, the objectives and goals must be defined. As it is the initial part, it is recommended to pay greater attention and consider actions such as:
- Establish the objectives and goals of the task to be improved or developed;
- Describe the task in detail, being clear in the specifications;
- List the professionals who will be part of the PDCA;
- Define deadlines, the necessary financial resources, expected cost, labor, among others.
Do
After thorough planning, it must be put into practice, to the letter. That is, to follow and respect what was planned. This is where you get your hands dirty, usually in three steps:
- Training of those involved in the project;
- Execution of the process;
- Data collection
Don’t forget to pay attention to four points:
- Perform all tasks as planned;
- Keep stakeholders informed of progress;
- Follow the schedule; e,
- Highlight any variations observed.
Check
This is the part of the PDCA Cycle where flaws in the project are identified. To do this, you must measure the results achieved and check if the goals have been met. This check can be done in two ways:
- Parallel to implementation, to ensure that the work is being done well;
- At the end, for a more comprehensive statistical analysis. The measurement at the end will allow adjustments not made or not previously noticed.
In this step, the root causes of the problems that have occurred are also identified.
Act
In the last phase, corrective actions are applied. Remember that the PDCA Cycle is used for continuous improvement? Exactly for this reason, here you should:
- Correct the deviations found;
- Identify preventive actions for root causes, such as implementing risk management;
- Implement preventive actions and verify the result;
- Repeat the first three steps (Plan, Do, Act) until all goals are achieved.
Think of the PDCA Cycle as a ball that is always moving forward with the goal of improving.
Fusion Platform at the PDCA cycle
Pedro, from our story, managed to take actions to reverse the negative results. The sales process was improved by detecting gaps between activities. But Peter knows that the work has only just begun.
Because he no longer wanted to go through the suffocation of not having real-time and centralized information, Pedro decided to implement a risk management platform, processes, documents, indicators, and electronic signature.
Operating end-to-end, the Fusion Platform offers a suite of solutions to ensure operational excellence.
By providing process automation, centralization of information, facilitating communication, and having indicators updated in real time, the solution optimizes routines and drives continuous improvement.
Among the features available, it is possible to map, monitor, manage and analyze processes. Enabling, among other points, identifying bottlenecks, monitoring the performance and execution of activities in real time.
Specifically for the PDCA Cycle, Neomind developed the Goals and Strategies Management module. In addition, there is the quality accelerator, which enables the effective control of action plans through the control of pending deadlines.
Regarding document management, all forms and files are centralized, which ensures quick access and collection of information. In Central Analytics, there are personalized reports and analysis on the performance of all associated activities.
Without a doubt, if Pedro already had the Fusion Platform, he would not have to face problems in his sales process.
And if you don’t want to be like Peter and want to ensure greater efficiency, productivity, quality, and continuous improvement across your organization, try Fusion Platform.
Combining Fusion Platform and PDCA is ensuring success and extraordinary results for your organization.
