Step 1 - From Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) 

to Standardize-Do-Check-Act (SDCA)

 

 

Plan

Establish a target.

Devise action plans to achieve the target

↓

Do

Implement the plan

↓

Check

Determine if the implementation has brought the desired results or it needs improvement.

Now is the time to repair any errors in the plan.

↓

Act

Perform and standardize the procedure

↓

Standardize

Put the process on paper, train the staff.

↓

Do

Everybody implements the procedure.

↓

Check

Determine if the process works for everyone or not.

Have everybody adapt the procedure to their own needs.

↓

Act

Perform and get results.

 

Then the proces starts all over again.

 

The PDCA-SDCA cycle never ends. There is always something to improve. In the beginning the process is unstable, but after the SDCA cycle, it should stabilize.

 

SDCA thus becomes Maintainance, while PDCA becomes Improvement.