PDCA cycle explained: how to plan, do, check, and act
The PDCA cycle stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act. It’s a simple but powerful four-step method that helps you fix problems, test ideas, and continuously improve your operations.
In our previous lesson, we gave you a brief introduction to PDCA, its history, and when to use it.
In this lesson, we’ll break down each step of the cycle with practical examples and guidance you can apply right away.
Plan
Now, this is where you’ll spend most of your time. And that’s a good thing. A strong plan sets you up for success in every other step.
The goal here is to understand the problem fully and lay the groundwork for solving it.
Your process in the Plan stage should look something like this:
Define the problem clearly - Start by identifying the problem clearly. What exactly is going wrong? Where is it happening? When does it happen? Try to be as specific as possible and do a board exercise if necessary.
Set a SMART goal - Next, define your goal. What do you want to achieve? Make it a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example: “Reduce unplanned stops on Line 3 by 50% within two weeks.”
Gather data and context - From there on, you’ll want to collect data. Don’t guess. Look at your production data. Talk to your operators. Walk the line. The more context you have, the better.
Identify the root cause - Then it’s time to find the root cause. You can use simple tools like the 5 Whys, or a cause-and-effect diagram, also known as a fishbone diagram, to help guide that process.
Create your action plan - Finally, once you understand the problem and what’s causing it, create your action plan; decide what you’ll do, who’s going to do it, and when. You can even predict what you expect to happen so you can measure your results later.
Tip! Don’t try to solve everything at once. Focus on one well-defined issue and test a clear hypothesis.
That’s your foundation. Now, let’s move on to the Do phase.
Do
The Do phase is where you test your plan, but keep in mind, this is not full-scale implementation. It’s a controlled experiment.
Try your solution on a small scale. Maybe it’s one line, one product, or one shift.
Make sure the people involved understand what you’re trying to do and how it connects to the problem you’re solving.
It is critical to document everything: what was done, who did it, and how it went. You want to capture what worked and what didn’t, even at this early stage.
Once you have your tests, you can move into the check phase.
Check
This is the learning step and also the most important phase of PDCA
Now that you’ve tested your solution, it’s time to ask two questions:
- What happened in our tests?
- Based on the evidence, what did we learn from the outcome?
Compare the results against your goal. Did you hit the target? If so, great. If not, why not?
Look at the data. Talk to the people who ran the trial. What did they see? Did the new approach actually make things better?
However, be careful not to jump to conclusions too quickly.
This is your chance to step back and reflect on what the results are really telling you.
And that brings us to the final step: Act.
Act
At this stage, you’ve tested your solution and reviewed the results, now it’s time to decide what to do next.
If the solution worked, great. You can start implementing it more broadly. Update your standard work procedures or SOP’s, train your team, and lock in the change so it becomes the new way of doing things.
If the solution didn’t work, that’s okay too. PDCA is a cycle. You go back to the Plan phase, adjust your approach, and try again.
The important thing is that you’re learning. You’re getting closer to a solution with each cycle.
And once that solution sticks, you’re not just solving a problem, you’re building a culture of continuous improvement.
Why the PDCA cycle matters
The PDCA cycle helps you solve the right problems, not just the visible ones. It builds alignment across teams and reduces guesswork.
By using this structure, you:
- Avoid jumping to conclusions
- Reduce resistance to change
- Create improvements that actually last
And the best part? It’s easy to teach and apply.
What’s next?
In the next lesson, we’ll show you how PDCA works in a real-world manufacturing example, from root cause to sustained improvement.
In the meantime, if you’re ready to try PDCA yourself:
👉 Download our free PDCA template.
🎧 Listen to our podcast episode on PDCA.
💡 Or explore how you can track improvement digitally with Factbird Action Plans in our Knowledge Excellence App.