PDCA
PDCA provides a four-phase framework for solving a shop floor problem based on measurements rather than impressions, and then for locking in the result with a standard so the wheel does not roll back down.
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This course is intended for team leaders, methods technicians, continuous improvement facilitators and maintenance or quality managers who have to deal with a recurring problem on a line: repeated stoppages, scrap, OEE that stagnates. It assumes no prior Lean training.
By the end, you will know how to write a quantified problem statement and a SMART objective, trace back to root causes with the 5 Whys or an Ishikawa diagram, prioritise with a Pareto, test an action within a bounded scope, decide on comparable measurements whether it worked, and then record it in a standard. You will also know how to spot the three mistakes that cause most PDCAs to fail: starting from a solution, skipping the Check, not standardising.
What you will be able to do
- Name the four phases of PDCA and state what each one concretely produces on a production line.
- Write a quantified problem statement and a SMART objective with the measurement indicator chosen before taking any action.
- Trace back to root causes with the 5 Whys or an Ishikawa diagram, then prioritise with a Pareto.
- Run a test within a bounded scope and decide, on comparable measurements, whether the action worked.
- Standardise what works (the standard as the wedge for the wheel) and launch another cycle when the gap persists.
- Recognise the three mistakes that cause the majority of PDCAs to fail: starting from a solution, skipping the Check, not standardising.
The path
- Why a wheel, and why it turns in one direction only 4 min
- Plan, first step: frame the problem and set the objective 4 min
- Plan, part two: finding the causes and choosing the actions 4 min
- Do and Check: test within a bounded scope, then really measure 4 min
- Act: wedging the wheel with a standard, or running another cycle 4 min
Prerequisites
No Lean prerequisites. You need to know how your line operates and have at least one indicator that is recorded regularly (stoppages, scrap, throughput rate, OEE). Having a real problem in mind helps to follow the examples.
The closing quiz
The topic ends with a 7-question quiz, and a certificate is issued on success.