12.The PDCA Continuous Improvement Cycle

Common Disconnects in Industry


Technical Factors

􀂾 BIG “P”DCA – Overplanning

􀂾 Team gets stuck in planning cycle
– try to confirm beliefs in planning whereas lean model confirms
beliefs in check

􀂾 LITTLE “P”DCA – Underplanning
􀂾 Missing experimental hypothesis: no “why”.

􀂾 Things work well for reasons beyond understanding with no
knowledge of what worked and why.

􀂾 The hypothesis is not validated.


Social Factors
􀂾 Constrained resources and improper training cause PDCA to begin and
end at “Do”.