Nautical Term: PDCA
Definition of PDCA
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is a cyclical process used in business and industry to ensure continuous improvement. The five steps of PDCA are: 1) Plan: Establish goals, identify resources, and make a detailed plan. 2) Do: Execute the plan by taking action and using the resources. 3) Check: Evaluate the results of the actions taken, and compare them to the goals and plans. 4) Act: Based on the results of the check, take corrective actions to improve the results, or to keep the process on track.
For example, a manufacturing company implements a PDCA cycle for improving the efficiency of their assembly line. They first plan the project, establishing goals such as reducing assembly time by 15%. They then identify resources, such as training materials for workers and tools for conducting time studies.
Next, the company executes the plan by taking action on the assembly line. They provide training to workers on how to use the new tools and techniques more efficiently. They also conduct time studies to gather data on the current assembly time and identify any bottlenecks or inefficiencies.
After executing the plan, the company then evaluates the
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