Frequently Asked Questions About the Deming Cycle

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The Deming Cycle is a time-tested business process management model that has proven itself to be a good tool for optimizing a company's operations, regardless of its line of business. It cannot be used in projects with limited implementation deadlines, where there is no time for analyzing actions and introducing innovations.

Who is not suitable for the cycle?
It can be used in many business management realtor email list models, but for a number of projects its use is unacceptable. For example, it cannot be implemented in activities in which the result is unchangeable: this is construction, education, tutoring, and so on. In this case, it is impossible to make adjustments if errors were made at the initial stage. They can only be taken into account when working on a new project.

What does this have to do with Six Sigma?
The Deming cycle is a logical procedure that helps in any work. In the 6 Sigma quality management model, the PDCA cycle is quite effective, so many consider it the main method of control. It is called the PDCA cycle, since the four processes do not start and end once, but follow each other constantly. When one cycle ends and a number of problems are solved, other problems appear and everything starts again.

What does PDSA stand for?
The Deming-Shewhart cycle can be represented as a PDSA. The names differ by only one letter. In an alternative diagram, the third process is described as Study. The modified diagram looks like this:

P — process planning.

D — actions taking into account the chosen strategy.

S — evaluation of the result, acquisition of experience and knowledge.

A - implementation of new knowledge and skills in work.

How did Toyota use the approach?
The PDCA cycle is one of the main elements of the Toyota Just-in-Time Production System. Over the past 20 years, these technologies have become almost the main example of lean manufacturing using PDCA. For more information on the application of Toyota PDCA in lean manufacturing, read the book The Toyota Method by Jeffrey Lake (2003). According to Edward Deming, the PDCA methodology can be used to:

Continuous quality improvement.

Reduction in the number of defects due to more uniform characteristics.

Understanding the meaning of quality.

How to use in a large company?
The hierarchy of the PDCA cycle when working with a large organization looks like this:

The small ring is inside the large one. If a company operates as a single PDCA cycle, each department, group, or mini-cycle fits into it, creating a PDCA hierarchy.

Constant improvement of the PDCA cycle. It does not freeze at one level, each of its elements solves part of the problems, allows achieving part of the results, works longer, corresponds to the level of one step. The next cycle acquires new goals and opportunities, which contributes to the continued growth of the business.

However, for many businesses, the Deming Cycle is a great way to slowly perfect a product, maintain good quality, and stay ahead of competitors.