Understanding the PDCA Cycle

The video tutorial introduces the PDCA cycle, a model for continuous improvement developed by Walter Stewart in the 1930s. It explains the four components: Plan, Do, Check, and Act, and how they are used to define problems, test changes, verify results, and implement improvements. The PDCA cycle is widely used in Japan for kaizens, which are small, daily improvements, and is a fundamental model in lean practices.

Who developed the PDCA cycle?

• Joseph Juran

• Kaoru Ishikawa

• Edward Deming

• Walter Stewart

What is another name for the PDCA cycle?

• Plan-Do-Study-Act

• Plan-Do-Check-Apply

• Plan-Do-Check-Adjust

• Plan-Do-Check-Analyze

What is the first step in the PDCA cycle?

• Do

• Plan

• Check

• Act

During which step of the PDCA cycle do you test the plan on a small scale?

• Act

• Check

• Do

• Plan

In the PDCA cycle, what do you do during the 'Check' phase?

• Examine the results and verify improvements

• Define the problem

• Implement changes on a larger scale

• Conduct the plan on a small scale

What is the term used in Japan for small daily improvements using the PDCA cycle?

• Lean

• Six Sigma

• Kaizens

• Continuous Improvement