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Management Theory

PDCA Cycle

Also Known As Deming Cycle · Shewhart Cycle
Quality and Process Improvement Theories

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. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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.
Classification
Topic (Functional Area)
Operations 1
Connections

Associated With

Kaizen, Management Theories

Kaizen improvement efforts are commonly carried out using the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.

Source Wikipedia, Kaizen
Total Quality Management, Management Theories

The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is a core tool used within Total Quality Management practice.

Source Wikipedia, PDCA
W. Edwards Deming, Founders, Executives and Management Thinkers

Modified Shewhart's original cycle in the 1940s into the widely-taught PDCA form.

Source Wikipedia, PDCA

Developed By

Walter A. Shewhart, Founders, Executives and Management Thinkers

Originated the cycle; Deming modified it in the 1940s into the form used today (see the associated-with edge to Deming).

Source Wikipedia, PDCA
Sources
1. Wikipedia, PDCA
Wikipedia
  • lead section
    A fundamental principle of the scientific method and plan-do-check-act is iteration
  • History
    originated with physicist Walter Shewhart at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1920s. W. Edwards Deming modified the Shewhart cycle in the 1940s
  • Wikipedia, PDCA lead section
    PDCA (plan-do-check-act), sometimes called plan-do-check-adjust is an iterative design and management method used in business for the control and continual improvement of processes and products.
  • Introduction, functional area topic classification
    PDCA (plan-do-check-act), sometimes called plan-do-check-adjust is an iterative design and management method used in business for the control and continual improvement of processes and products.
  • Associated With: Total Quality Management
View the Source
Wikipedia, Kaizen
WikipediaAssociated With: KaizenView the Source
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