Management Theories

PDCA Cycle

Also Known As Deming Cycle · Shewhart Cycle

Citation Formats

General Reference

Business Atlas. "PDCA Cycle." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://business.interactiveatlas.org/management-theories/pdca-cycle.

APA Style

Business Atlas. (n.d.). PDCA Cycle. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://business.interactiveatlas.org/management-theories/pdca-cycle

BibTeX

@misc{businessatlas-pdca-cycle,
  author = {Business Atlas},
  title = {PDCA Cycle},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://business.interactiveatlas.org/management-theories/pdca-cycle},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

An iterative four-stage method (Plan, Do, Check, Act) for the control and continual improvement of processes and products. Walter Shewhart originated the cycle as a physicist and statistician at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1920s; W. Edwards Deming modified it in the 1940s into the form widely taught today and used it to teach statistical process control to postwar Japanese industry.

Facts

Core Claim

Iteration is a fundamental principle of the scientific method applied to management: once a hypothesis about a process improvement is tested and confirmed or negated, executing the cycle again extends the knowledge further. 1

Origin Year

1920 1

Shewhart originated the cycle at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1920s; Deming modified it into its widely-taught form in the 1940s. Both dates are recorded: origin-year carries the earlier, foundational date.

Cross-Tradition Connections