PDCA cycle: Plan-Do-Check-Act for process improvement

The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is a four-step problem-solving strategy for continuous improvement. Rather than a one-and-done process, it's an ongoing feedback loop where teams develop hypotheses, test ideas, and refine their approach over time.

Since PDCA is based on repeating steps, it gives teams the flexibility to tackle many different business challenges.

PDCA cycle history

The PDCA cycle originated in the 1920s with Walter Shewhart, the father of statistical quality control, and was later expanded by W. Edwards Deming. In his book Economic control of quality manufactured product, Shewhart applied the scientific method to quality control in manufacturing.

Shewhart's thesis was further developed by W. Edwards Deming, who championed Shewhart's work. Deming expanded on Shewhart's idea and used the scientific method not only for quality control but also process improvement.

Deming went on to teach the method he called the Shewhart cycle to Japanese engineers. There, the Shewhart cycle mixed with kaizen (the Japanese principle of continuous improvement, which was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa), the Toyota production system, and lean manufacturing to become what we now call the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.

Nowadays, the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is commonly used in lean project management.

This methodology has many names, including:

• Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, or PDCA cycle

• Deming cycle or Deming wheel

• Shewhart cycle

• Control cycle

• Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle or PDSA cycle

4 steps to use the PDCA cycle

The PDCA process has four steps: planning, doing, checking, and acting. Since it’s a cycle, you start again from the beginning each time you finish.

1. Plan

The first step to any process improvement or project planning is to figure out what you need to do. Like any project plan, this includes a variety of information, including:

• The project objectives

• Success metrics

• The project deliverables or end result

• Project stakeholders

• The project timeline

• Any relevant project risks or constraints

You can use the PDCA cycle for many types of projects. Whether you’re starting something new or working on quality improvement, spending time on careful planning helps set your project up for success.

Remember, PDCA is a cycle, so you don’t need to have every answer at the start. Each time you go through the cycle, review your plan to make sure it still matches your goals.

2. Do

After you finish your project plan, the next step is to put it into action. PDCA, like other lean methods, focuses on making small, gradual changes. In the Do phase, try out your plan on a small scale to see if it works.

3. Check

Look over the test you did in the Do phase to see if everything went as planned. You’ll probably find some things to improve. The Check phase helps you catch these small issues before they become bigger problems.

If necessary, revisit your project plan to ensure it continues to meet your objectives. Alternatively, if you realized you need to make a change to the project plan, you can use a change control process to do so now.

4. Act

After the check, move to the Act phase, which includes rolling out the full project or using a corrective action plan to implement the process improvement. Don't forget that the PDCA cycle is a cycle. If needed, return to the Plan phase to continuously improve your project or processes.

PDCA cycle example

Here’s an example of how the PDCA cycle works: Imagine a marketing team wants to improve their email campaign open rates.

Plan: The team identifies that their current email open rate is 15%, below the industry average of 21%. They hypothesize that personalizing subject lines could increase engagement and define success as reaching a 20% open rate within one month.

Do: The team implements personalized subject lines for a small segment of their email list, using the recipient's first name and referencing their recent website activity.

Check: After two weeks, the team reviews the data. The personalized emails achieved a 23% open rate compared to 14% for the control group. They also notice click-through rates improved by 8%.

Act: Based on these results, the team rolls out personalized subject lines across all email campaigns. They document their findings and identify the next improvement opportunity: testing send times to further boost engagement.

This example shows how the PDCA cycle enables teams to make data-driven decisions and continuously refine their processes.

When should you use the PDCA cycle?

The PDCA cycle is a helpful approach for managing projects and improving processes. It works best for teams that are open to ongoing improvement and repeating steps as needed.

The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is particularly useful when you want to:

• Streamline and improve a repetitive work process

• Develop a new business process

• Get started with continuous improvement

• Rapidly iterate on change and see immediate results

• Minimize errors and maximize outcomes

• Test multiple solutions quickly

Benefits of the PDCA cycle

The PDCA cycle has several benefits for teams focused on continuous improvement.

Pros:

• Helpful for teams looking to get started with continuous improvement

• Flexible methodology for virtually any project

• Quickly implement change and see results

• Use the PDCA as your standard operating procedure to increase org-wide standardization without the use of a project management office (PMO)

• Proven continuous improvement methodology

Cons:

• You need support from senior management in order for the PDCA cycle to be particularly effective

• The real value of PDCA comes from repeating the cycle many times. It’s not very effective if you only use it once.

• Requires time to implement and learn

• PDCA isn’t the best choice for urgent projects, because you usually need to run the cycle several times.

Put the PDCA cycle into practice

The PDCA cycle is an effective way to implement continuous improvement and problem solving. By planning carefully, testing on a small scale, reviewing results, and acting on what you learn, your team can make incremental progress toward better processes and outcomes.

To get the most out of the PDCA cycle, set your projects up for success with project planning tools. Plan, manage, and track your team's projects to hit your deliverables on time. Get started and see how Asana can help you put the PDCA cycle into action.

Frequently asked questions about the PDCA cycle