PDSA, PDCA, and the Strategic Planning Process
When I was reviewing for the ASQ Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence exam, I felt I needed a solid approach when it came to the essay portion of the exam. As I thought of various approaches, I settled on what is referred to as the Deming Wheel, a continuous improvement model. We commonly refer to this model as Plan-Do-Study-Act or Plan-Do-Check-Act. Note the subtle difference in study and check. To me, study leads down an analysis path while check is more of a reactive, control path. However, both models can yield results if diligently applied. By the way, I passed the certification exam and am now an official Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence (ASQ CMQ/OE). So, my essay approach was successful and I have used it in teaching subsequent certification classes (with a 100% pass rate). What do PDSA / PDCA and strategic planning have in common? All require planning, analysis, action and monitoring. All are circular, or continuous in nature. And...