The goal of the process is to continuously improve the product. Therefore, all stages are repeated over and over again.
Classical Deming Cycle
How to Use the Deming Cycle
The main advantage of the method is its flexibility. Because of this albania phone number resource it is used in many industries, such as IT, digital, education, sales, marketing and other areas. The Deming cycle works for narrow areas separately or for the entire company at once. Sometimes the method is implemented to understand where the weak points are, but more often - to increase profits.
Here's a simplified way to use the technology:
Set a goal and choose the tools to achieve it.
Do the work.
See what you got: does everything work as you intended?
Correct any errors and run the cycle again.
Below we examine each step of the methodology in more detail.
Stages of the PDCA cycle
The Deming cycle consists of 4 steps. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Planning
Stage one. Here, the team formulates hypotheses and describes in detail what the end result should be. They also note what tools they intend to use. When the cycle is launched for the second time, employees already know the "bottlenecks". Therefore, re-planning begins with the question "What exactly didn't work? Why?" Then the task is adjusted and deadlines are set.
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Here's what else the team does in the planning stage:
prescribes the goal;
looks for reasons why not everything worked out in the last cycle;
determines what needs to be changed to avoid making the same mistakes this time;
writes a guide for implementing changes.
Action
Once the plan is written, it's time to implement it. It's important to test all hypotheses and strictly follow the plan. The manager's job is to convey information to all departments and tell them what result he expects. Marketers, managers, buyers, developers - everyone should work together.
Here's what the team does when implementing the plan:
smoothly introduces changes into work;
collects information about the success of the campaign.
The Deming Cycle means that people don't just blindly follow a plan, but test hypotheses step by step. If the theory doesn't work in practice, take that into account in the next cycle.
Examination
Sometimes this step in the Deming cycle is also called "Study". Here, the implementation stage is checked and questions are answered: what worked and what didn't, why it happened. This stage is the main one in PDCA. The more clearly you analyze the result, the less likely you are to make a mistake again.
Command actions at the checking step:
analysis of the work done;
verification against the forecast;
a selection of recommendations for improving your cycle.
Correction
At this stage of PDCA, the manager lays the foundation for moving to the next level. The team implements changes after testing and eliminates weak points.
Here's what they do at this stage in the Deming Cycle:
finally determine whether the recommendations for improving the project are working;
complete the analysis of the work done and prepare reports;
make a selection of monitoring systems that help in management;
set a deadline for the next round.
Everything that was learned during this period is carried over to the next circle, and the Deming cycle begins again.
Where this approach is used
The Deming Cycle is a flexible management model. The approach is being implemented by companies in various niches:
IT - when developing a website;
in the digital sphere - for promotion on the Internet;
in production - to understand what to improve in a product and how to speed up the release of the product;
in sales - to establish supplies;
in marketing - when writing a strategy and studying the target audience;
in the service sector - to understand what customers want and how to improve service.
PDCA can be implemented for each stage or for the entire project. If you implement the Deming cycle in one area, then each task will be handled by a separate specialist. For example, the head of the sales department draws up a work plan and distributes responsibilities: mid-level specialists launch a hypothesis test, the results are checked by an analyst, and adjustments are made by a top manager.
When a company is looking for incremental improvement, PDCA is the right tool. The Deming Cycle is not suitable where immediate results are expected. So if a team is doing operations and only has one chance to get it right, the model is not suitable. For example:
Repairing equipment or clothes - each project is unique, there is only one attempt to fix a phone or sew a dress.
Insurance - the client contacts the company, the manager serves him and accepts the next order.
Construction - the contractor has only one chance to build a house. If the foundation cracks or the house falls, the company cannot replace the materials or replace the workers. If it concerns interior decoration and repairs, then PDCA can already be implemented here. For example, you can paint the walls a different color, and fix faulty wiring.
An example of the application of the Deming cycle
Let's give an example of implementing PDCA in the sales department. Working with clients requires regular updating of scripts. In addition, managers are given sales targets every month, the company releases new products, and the terms of cooperation with contractors change.
Here's how the Deming model is implemented in a changing business:
Planning . The manager set a task - to increase sales by 20% compared to the previous quarter. The head of the department decided that to do this, it was necessary to train managers, change the script, introduce upselling, and also increase the customer base.
Implementation . At this stage, all tools are implemented.
Check . Since the company immediately implemented all the steps, it will be clear which of them worked worse. For example, the new script did not give results. After the manager found out the client's pain and told about the product, the deal does not go further. The head of the department decides to connect call tracking to track calls. This will make it clear what exactly confuses the buyer in the conversation.
Call tracking
Track call sources from ads to evaluate them
Invest in the advertising that brings in clients. Listen to calls and improve the work of managers.
Go to
Adjustment . At this step, the employee looks at what has changed after using call tracking. For example, it turns out that most managers are weak at handling objections. The solution is to hold a webinar and look at the results during a new cycle.
The next PDCA cycle will likely introduce new weak points—this is almost always the case. For example, managers were not told that a substitute product had appeared in the warehouse, or two managers went on vacation and now the workload will have to be redistributed to keep up with the plan.