PDCA Cycle: what it is, advantages and how to apply it to your company's management
If you are looking for resources to help manage your company, get to know the PDCA Cycle will make a big difference in your projects.
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This is because, in this management method, things work cyclically, and each project is executed with a focus on results and correcting errors.
Today we'll briefly discuss this proposal so you can understand whether it's worth incorporating into your team's daily routine. Stay tuned to find out!
PDCA Cycle: Understand each of the phases
Project execution is one of the biggest problems for most companies, and in most cases this is due to the linear way in which they are managed.
When we talk about “linear form” we refer to the basic procedures of planning – execution – adoption of the idea/change of routes.
So, in this model, projects basically emerge all the time, are tested, and if they don't deliver good results, they are quickly replaced.
The big problem with this practice is that most of the time the team ends up not exploring the full potential of the idea, and therefore does not make corrections that could favor success.
The PDCA Cycle is an idea that works against this model, since it proposes cyclical management, where Each project is carefully planned, tested and revised to try to achieve the best possible results.
This occurs through 4 main steps, which we will look at below.
Plan
The first stage of the PDCA Cycle is the Plan, that is, the planning of the project that is intended to be carried out within the company.
This is one of the most important phases, as it is when idealization occurs, considering the best possible approaches for a given idea.
It's worth noting that the plan will structure the remaining stages, since it's the foundation upon which everything else will function. Therefore, good planning ensures much of a project's success.
Do (Do)
After planning a project, it's time to put it into practice, that is, execute the necessary actions to get it off the ground.
In the PDCA Cycle, the execution stage must occur based on the project and aiming for the best possible performance of the idea.
Check
In the third stage of the PDCA Cycle, the team has the task of evaluating and controlling the results obtained from the project carried out.
The idea is to carefully evaluate the idea's performance in order to highlight areas for improvement and projections for the future.
Act
The fourth phase of the PDCA Cycle involves action, that is, the team must act based on the results obtained from the analyses and controls of the last phase.
What worked? What didn't? What can be improved? Are there good prospects for future attempts?
It's worth mentioning that this strategy is cyclical, so the fourth phase isn't the last: after that, the team will return to planning to "refine" the idea and execute it again.
The idea is to truly refine the project until you get the maximum possible performance out of it. In this case, giving up at the first hurdle isn't an option.
Can the PDCA Cycle go wrong?
As we saw previously, the purpose of the PDCA Cycle is to provide monitoring of each process of a project, in order to improve it to the highest possible level.
So, instead of giving up on the idea at the first sign of problems, the manager, together with the team, establishes points for improvement and new implementations to achieve success.
Although it is an encouraging vision, the classic question often arises: after all, can the PDCA Cycle go wrong even with so much improvement and persistence?
In the case of management with this model, a project that did not end as it should have is not considered a failure, since the team did everything they could to make it work.
And, considering that true failure comes from ignorance and negligence, with this management model even poor results can serve as an opportunity for growth and new attempts.
However, it is certainly possible that the planning will not yield good results and the company will have to abandon the project and seek new ideas.
In this case, the cycle starts again, seeking maximum performance from future ideas.
Does the PDCA Cycle work for all companies?
Yes, the PDCA Cycle can work for different business models, after all, every company works with projects.
Even the service sector has projects: you aim to win more customers, create a plan for this, execute the action, evaluate the results and act according to the learning.
Therefore, if you want to find a solution-focused management model that promotes maximum performance from your employees, this option is worth considering.
Read also: Business plan: what it is and how to prepare yours – Valor Notícias.
