PDCA cycle examples can dramatically change how you think about problem solving and continuous improvement. I’ve personally witnessed the power of this basic four-step process to turn around organizations in virtually every industry from the shop floor in manufacturing plants to the classroom.
That’s because PDCA helps teams of people pinpoint problems, analyze the root cause, fix the problem, and measure success. So let’s take a look at how PDCA can make you more efficient, eliminate mistakes, and make a real difference in your work.
Understanding the PDCA Cycle
Let’s go through each of the four steps:
- Plan: Identify the problem and come up with a solution.
- Do: Execute the plan on a small scale.
- Check: Evaluate the results and see if there are any problems.
- Act: Roll out the solution at scale or start the cycle again.
The PDCA cycle has its origins in the scientific method. It has gone through various iterations:
- It was introduced by Walter Shewhart in the 1920s.
- It was popularized by W. Edwards Deming in the 1950s.
- It became a central concept in Total Quality Management in the 1980s.
You’ll find the PDCA cycle especially helpful when solving complex problems. It gives a structured approach to improvement. This process also encourages continuous learning and adaptation. Companies that adopt PDCA often become more efficient and develop stronger problem solving skills.
I’ve personally seen how the PDCA cycle can turn around a struggling manufacturing plant. For example, one automotive parts supplier reduced defects by 40% in just six months using this method. The key was their commitment to the process. They didn’t just go through the motions. They truly embraced the cycle as their way of thinking.
The PDCA cycle isn’t a one and done solution. It’s a continuous process. Use it again and again to fine tune your solutions and get better results over time. And this iterative approach is exactly why the PDCA cycle is so effective for continuous improvement.
PDCA Cycle examples in Manufacturing
I’ve helped manufacturing plants apply PDCA over the years, and one success story comes to mind. A struggling car factory plant decided to try using PDCA on their assembly line process.
Here’s a high-level overview of what they did:
- Plan: They identified bottlenecks in the line
- Do: They tested a new workflow in a single section
- Check: They measured the production speed and any changes in defect rates
- Act: If the changes yielded positive results, they rolled it out to other sections of the assembly line
As a result, they increased production efficiency by 25% in just three months. And the main benefit of applying the PDCA cycle to the process was that it improved their overall quality control processes, emphasizing the importance of 8d problem solving in achieving desired outcomes.
Another success story comes from an automotive parts manufacturer that used the PDCA cycle to reduce defects. Here’s what they did:
- Plan: They analyzed the defect data to see which issues kept cropping up
- Do: They implemented a process to do quality checks to prevent these defects from occurring
- Check: They watched for defects very closely
- Act: They immediately tweaked their process based on what they learned each cycle
After about six PDCA cycles, they reduced defects by 60%, and the process was the only reason. Most importantly, the reason it worked was because they didn’t just stop after one cycle. They kept improving their process with each new cycle.
You might be wondering how to measure the success of PDCA in manufacturing. Here are a few KPIs I like to look for:
- How much were you able to reduce cycle time?
- What defect rates were you able to reduce?
- Did you increase OEE?
- Did improving your process increase employee engagement?
Finally, remember that the PDCA cycle is not an overnight solution. You’re using it to make continuous improvement over the long term. You will make small wins that will eventually add up to a significant win. And the real power of the PDCA cycle is making it a part of your culture.
Examples in Education
Take curriculum improvement, for example. Here’s how one high school boosted math scores using PDCA:
- Plan: They identified gaps in the math curriculum.
- Do: They tested new teaching methods in one class.
- Check: They measured student performance and feedback.
- Act: They implemented the successful teaching methods in other classes.
As a result, math scores improved by 15% over the course of a school year. And most importantly, students reported that they were more engaged and enjoyed math more.
Schools also use PDCA to increase student engagement. For example, one middle school applied PDCA to its reading program:
- Plan: They surveyed students to understand their reading preferences.
- Do: They introduced more variety to the books that the students were reading.
- Check: They measured how much the students were reading and book comprehension.
- Act: They adjusted the book selection based on the data from PDCA.
After three cycles, the school saw a 30% increase in voluntary student reading. It’s a great example of how PDCA can help solve complex problems in education.
The Pearl River, NY School District is an impressive case study. They used PDCA to define work processes throughout the entire school district. Here’s how they did it:
- They implemented PDCA to administrative processes.
- They used PDCA to develop curriculum for the students.
- They used PDCA in the classroom to manage the students.
Their hard work paid off, as they were awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001. It’s a great example of how PDCA, when used consistently throughout an organization, can drive outstanding results.
PDCA isn’t just for administrators, though. Teachers also use PDCA for their own development. I’ve personally walked many teachers through this process. They use PDCA to optimize their teaching style, test new technologies, and ultimately improve student results.
PDCA Cycle Examples in Business Operations
I’ve used PDCA to optimize operations for countless businesses. One of the most impactful applications of PDCA is in customer service. Here’s an example.
A retail company was experiencing long call wait times. They employed PDCA to solve it:
- Plan: Analyzed data to peak call times and reasons for calls
- Do: Implemented a new call routing system
- Check: Monitored average wait time and customer satisfaction scores
- Act: Adjusted staffing plans accordingly
After completing three cycles, their average wait time decreased by 40%, and customer satisfaction scores increased by 25%. This is a prime example of how powerful PDCA is when optimizing business operations.
PDCA also significantly improves inventory management. For example, a wholesaler that I advised used PDCA to optimize inventory:
- Plan: Identified products in their catalog with high holding costs or stockout costs
- Do: Implemented ordering rule changes to fix these problems
- Check: Monitored turnover and stockout rates for each product
- Act: Refined the ordering rules
After this process, they decreased inventory holding costs by 20% and virtually eliminated stockouts. These are two of the best use cases for PDCA that I’ve observed.
Nike is another excellent case study of PDCA in action. They used it to improve poor working conditions in their factories:
- Plan: Audited working conditions and selected poor labor standards
- Do: Implemented new labor standards in a subset of factories
- Check: Monitored compliance and surveyed workers
- Act: Rolled out the new working conditions to all factories
The result? Nike doubled in size and became a $200B+ company in 2021 (up from $100B in 2015). This is another prime example of how you can use PDCA to drive ethical improvements while simultaneously growing the business.
It’s critical that you measure the ROI of implementing PDCA. Look for the following KPIs:
- Cost savings
- Revenue growth
- Customer satisfaction scores
- Employee productivity
Remember, the key is getting PDCA right. This is a never-ending process, and you’ll continue to see small improvements over time as you refine the process.
Examples in Project Management
Let’s discuss how PDCA fits within software development. Here’s how a tech startup I advised applied it:
- Plan: Defined the scope of the project and potential risks
- Do: Built a prototype of the software
- Check: Tested the software prototype and gathered user feedback
- Act: Adjusted the design based on learnings
They repeated this process several times. And with each iteration they enhanced the software. By the end, the final piece of software included 30% more features than outlined in the initial project scope. And all of these features were based on actual user needs.
It also works well for risk management on projects. Here’s an example of how I’ve instructed project teams to use it for risk management:
- Plan: Identify potential risks and the impact of each risk
- Do: Put a strategy in place to mitigate the risk
- Check: Measure the progress of the project and if you can see early indicators of a specific risk to prevent it
- Act: Adjust your strategy to mitigate the actual risks you’re experiencing
This process ensures your team is proactive about risks rather than reactive. Ultimately, it prevents any surprises while keeping the project on track.
Here are a few of the steps I recommend to ensure your project team applies the PDCA cycle effectively:
- Start small: Apply PDCA to only one thing in the project to start
- Get the entire team involved: Ensure the entire team understands and uses the PDCA cycle
- Document everything: Keep detailed documentation of each PDCA cycle
- Celebrate wins: Document the improvements you’ve made through the PDCA cycles to encourage the team to use it more
PDCA is not a framework, and you can easily integrate it with any project management methodology. Whether you are using Agile, Waterfall, or something in between, you can improve your chosen methodology with the PDCA cycle.
Lastly, remember that the PDCA cycle is about improvement. Therefore, after each cycle, your project should be in a better state than it was previously. It’s not just about solving problems. It’s about building a culture of always finding a better way to do something.
Before We Go
The PDCA cycle is an excellent general tool for continuous improvement. I’ve personally witnessed its effectiveness in manufacturing, education, business operations, and even project management. You can use this basic yet powerful framework to increase efficiency, quality, and results in your own work.
Just be sure to modify the cycle for your own situation, as you see fit. With experience, using the PDCA cycle will become easy. After all, it’s a reliable strategy because it works if you use it consistently.
