Planes are late often. Passengers miss connecting flights too often. This issue was brought to mind on this week’s trip to and from Boston. I’m an efficiency expert and I was struck with a brilliant idea last night right after I missed my flight home. I am surprised the brilliant industrial engineers and managers at every airline have not implemented this very simple system to reduce missed connections. I can’t believe this idea has not crossed someone’s mind before.
PDCA are the initials for our company name and an acronym for "Plan-Do-Check-Act". The PDCA methodology has long been deeply ingrained in our business model. PDCA ("Plan-Do-Check-Act") is a four step repetitive process improvement methodology. It is a classic Total Quality Management technique introduced as the Shewhart Cycle. Although popularized by W. Edwards Deming in the 1950’s, its origin reaches back to the 17th Century. Today Six Sigma refers to it as DMAIC.
Watch the short video below for more information. You can also read and comment on our blog "Do = ½ Done" .
PDCA is characteristic of how we work, and how we help clients succeed.
Plan: find the real problem, the root cause, not just the symptomatic issues. Define what one thing impacts others. Gather the internal subject matter experts to formulate a strategy and tactics to combat the real issue. We define and agree upon measurable metrics as a team.
Do: Implement the plan with focus, measurement and accountability.
Check: Verify the plan was implemented as charged. Do the metrics work? Can you measure the improvement? Has the real problem been diminished? Finally,
Act: Analyze the gap between the “Plan versus Do”. Adjust the plan and the metrics so they do the job.
Then, start the (PDCA) process over again. This process has been used countless times and has been a successful formula for thousands of companies around the world.
PDCA does profit search and rescue. We help your business run more smoothly. We believe everyone makes the best decisions they can with the information they have available. We shine a flashlight into the dark corners of your business, revealing where the profit is hiding. We help you reveal new information to make better decisions.
“Pete had vision and insight as to what was needed and who should deliver it when it came to training. He was the best I ever met at developing an entire training program A to Z from scratch. Anyone seeking Pete's input will always be getting the best available.”
