Enter a dynamic of continuous improvement with the PDCA
Enter a dynamic of continuous improvement with the PDCA
The PDCA is a management process that makes it possible to be part of a continuous improvement approach.
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What is PDCA?
PDCA stands for "Plan Do Check Act", i.e. plan, carry out, verify and act.
The PDCA cycle is symbolized by a wheel called "The Deming Wheel", referring to William Edwards Deming who popularized pdca and developed it in quality management. Like a virtuous circle, the Deming wheel is a process with cycles and a sequence between each step. Its purpose is to improve the processes within a company, a department, a team etc.
The PDCA applies to the total strategy of the company, following a method that most major Japanese firms have already adopted.
The implementation of a PDCA project within your company promotes the improvement of work processes, performance, and therefore models as well as planning, then the identification of the causes of detected problems and objectives. Once the PDCA cycle is integrated within the company, its management will be much simpler in quality management.
This is a so-called cyclical project. It is a continuous loop that tends towards improvement in order to simplify and solve problems through 4 steps. Its goal is to achieve the optimal quality within your company. For this, the method is to chain the repetitions until the expected level is obtained. The phases are based on a cumulative principle until the achievement of the objectives. Its objective and indicators are part of a LEAN method.
What are the 4 steps of the PDCA tool?
Plan:
The first stage of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle consists of defining and identifying the problems encountered in a process. This phase is crucial because it enables us to ask the right questions to understand the root causes of the problems and define the objectives and methods for remedying them. Some recommended tools for this stage are :
The 5 Whys method: repeatedly asking ‘why’ questions to get to the root cause of a problem.
The Five Ws (Who? What? Where? When? Why?): a series of questions designed to analyse all aspects of a situation.
Cause-effect diagram (Ishikawa): visual mapping used to rank and classify the possible causes of a problem.
Pareto chart: graphic tool that ranks causes in order of importance.
The most important thing is to identify the problem, rather than proposing superficial solutions. Understanding the root causes allows us to rectify the situation in the long term.
Do:
This step corresponds to the phase of realization, application of the method studied in the previous step. This is an executive process that will measure the difference and changes in results between the first phase and the second. It is the implementation and application of the action plan that will subsequently make it possible to measure the causes and effects on this defined process. Readjustment may eventually be part of this step but the goal at this stage is not to access the total resolution of the identified problem. It is an approach that triggers a cycle of actions, preparation and therefore solutions. This step consists of preparing and launching the realization, trial or experiment, preferably on a small scale, respecting the provisions defined in the first stage. The action plan established during this stage will have to be followed rigorously. The regular presence of the leader in the field and the monitoring system are essential elements to ensure the success of the process.
Check:
This phase makes it possible to measure and quantify the actions implemented and their performance. You can spot discrepancies, try to understand where they come from and compare the results with the forecasts. This phase is therefore measurable thanks to indicators defined by the PDCA action plan. The measure is important it allows to justify or not the causes of an action, and to know there is a cause-and-effect relationship on the process. It is necessary to adjust, redefine or define new points of improvement following the verification phase. More broadly, it is a step of control of all available indicators and adjustment of the management of action plans.
2 types d’indicateurs sont à suivre :
Coming from the process: meeting the deadlines of the selected actions, number of suggestions made...
From results: quality, costs, deadlines, safety, environment.
Act:
This step consists not only of making the necessary decisions regarding the choice of solutions but also of looking for areas for improvement. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of the action plans. This may include standardizing the action plan, updating procedures, and overall management. Once the action plan is standardized, it is strongly advised to restart the PDCA process. Indeed, the resolution of the problem has been carried out but we can again detect new brakes, malfunctions (non-compliant elements for example) and the Deming wheel is revived in a dynamic of continuous improvement which is the objective in constant evolution.
The PDCA method is used to solve problems that the company may encounter, but it can also be applied in a LEAN approach, continuous improvement, in order to increase performance or decrease MUDA for example.
It is advisable for companies using the PDCA method to tackle small tasks rather than large construction sites. Indeed, for large projects, it will be more difficult to detect where the problem comes from and how to solve it, the time will be much longer and winding in a company. While on a short, short-term construction site, the results are felt very quickly and the dynamic of continuous improvement is set in motion more quickly. Indeed the resolution seems simpler and it is better to start this process several times by improving with each cycle than to block in one of the steps, too difficult to achieve on a large scale. This tool is an integral part of a LEAN model for companies. The PDCA model is represented on an upward slope that tends towards continuous improvement. What keeps the wheel from sliding down the slope and back down is the feedback. Illustrated as a wedge that holds the wheel. Experience is a real pillar to achieve objectives and holds the wheel at each level reached.
The PDCA cycle applies not only to process improvement but also to product improvement. As these are cycles, the phases regularly return to particular moments in the life of the company and the life of the product. The term "cycle" suggests that at the end of the monitoring of results, if the objective is not achieved, the differences should be interpreted and trends understood. The cycle proceeds once again with a new objective, until the new results are achieved and understood. Problem solving is a "team effort", therefore entrusted to a group of people.
This tool serves to structure a progress process: it avoids forgetting essential steps, such as preparing before acting; the preparation is, in fact, essential and very much linked to the verification phase: we can only check in relation to the preparation.
A PDCA module on SESAHUB has been created in order to get a real follow-up, as well as get a guideline. Indeed, the SESAHUB module collects data in real time and disseminates indicators. This organizes the management and the actions to be carried out as well as measure the results quickly. Access to the PDCA includes the management of anomalies, tasks and actions as well as follow-up. You can then enter the dynamics of the PDCA as a team, in real time and see its evolution. In addition, you will get a total history and you will have access to statistics on all periods. You have at your disposal all the follow-up of your PDCA processes as well as the guarantee of continuous improvement within your company.
