Plan-Do-Study-Act

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA), also known as the Deming Cycle, is a systematic series of steps for gaining valuable learning and knowledge for the continual improvement of a product or process. It is a model for iterative testing and refining of changes in the work being done.

Overview

The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle is a four-step model for carrying out change. The steps are:

1. Plan: Identify an opportunity and plan for change.
2. Do: Implement the change on a small scale.
3. Study: Use data to analyze the results of the change and determine whether it made a difference.
4. Act: If the change was successful, implement it on a wider scale and continuously assess your results. If the change did not work, begin the cycle again.

History

The PDSA cycle was originally developed by Walter A. Shewhart in the 1920s. W. Edwards Deming, an American statistician, later modified Shewhart's cycle and popularized the concept in Japan during the 1950s. Deming preferred to call it the Shewhart Cycle and emphasized the importance of studying the results and acting on what has been learned.

Application

The PDSA cycle is widely used in health care, manufacturing, and education for quality improvement, problem-solving, and process design changes. It is a fundamental component of Lean Six Sigma methodologies and the ISO 9001 quality management system.

See also

• Quality management
• Continuous improvement process
• Lean Six Sigma
• ISO 9001

References

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