Tool 62: Deming PDSA Cycle

AKA

Deming Wheel

Classification

Changing/Implementing (CI)

Tool description

The Deming PDSA cycle is a method of continually improving products, services, and processes. A small scale, low risk plan-do-study-act activity is often used to verify the feasibility of proposed ideas or change. Great for organizational learning, the PDSA cycle allows experimentation and study prior to full-scale implementation.

Typical application

• To provide a structured problem-solving and process-improvement methodology.

• To assess proposed problem solutions or recommended process-improvement ideas.

• To improve the quality of work through constant change.

• To identify and measure the effects and outcomes of initial, trial efforts.

Problem-solving phase

	Select and define problem or opportunity
	Identify and analyze causes or potential change
→	Develop and plan possible solutions or change
→	Implement and evaluate solution or change
→	Measure and report solution or change results
	Recognize and reward team efforts

Typically used by

	Research/statistics
	Creativity/innovation
	Engineering
2	Project management
	Manufacturing
	Marketing/sales
	Administration/documentation
3	Servicing/support
	Customer/quality metrics
1	Change management

links to other tools

before

• Critical Dialouge

• Gap Analysis

• Systems Analysis Diagram

• Process Mapping

• Force Field Analysis (FFA)

after

• Basili Data Collection Method

• Run-It-By

• Different Point of View

• Presentation

• Action Plan

Notes and key points

• In 1990, Deming changed plan-do-check-act (PDCA) to plan-do-study-act (PDSA). He believed that if one simply "checks" something, one does not perform an indepth study, and important data may be missed.

• Cross-reference to the Shewhart PDCA cycle for a variation of this process.

Step-by-step procudure

• STEP 1 Plan (P) an organizational change. See example Improve Statistical Process Control (SPC) Training.

• STEP 2 Do (D) perform the change activities.

• STEP 3 Study (S) the quantitative and qualitative data collected on the effects of change.

• STEP 4 Act (A) on lessons learned and implement the change throughout the organization.

• STEP 5 Repeat this PDSA cycle for futher improvements.

Example of tool application