The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is an iterative four-step management method for continuous improvement of processes and products. It is also known as the Deming Cycle or Shewhart Cycle, and involves identifying a problem or opportunity (Plan), implementing a solution on a small scale (Do), evaluating the results of the change (Check), and then taking action to standardize the change or make adjustments for the next cycle (Act)

The four stages

1. Plan — determine goals for a process and the needed changes to achieve them.

2. Do — implement the changes.

3. Check — evaluate the results in terms of performance

4. Act — standardize and stabilize the change or begin the cycle again, depending on the results

PDCA is the foundation of continuous improvement or kaizen. Leaders set targets (plan) against a stable baseline of performance. Teams implement improvements (Do) to achieve the targets. Then they measure (Check) the change to evaluate performance against the target. If the team has achieved a measurable gain, it standardizes (Act) the new method by updating the standardized work. This ensures the improvement is stable.