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The Continuous Improvement Cycle |
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Some readers will recognize this never-ending process as the Shewhart Cycle of Continuous Improvement, or the "Plan-do-study-act" (PDSA) cycle. Scholtes' "Team Handbook" reveals how business teams use the cycle of improvement to constantly refine and develop the quality of a particular production process, or of the product or service being produced. Other readers will recognize this as the "Plan-do-check-act" (PDCA) cycle. This acronym for the cycle of improvement is used primarily in a quality control context, and signifies the importance of constant system maintenance, in order to prevent variation in a process.
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Yet other readers will recognize this as an expression of the "Standardize-do-check-act" (SDCA) cycle, which refers specifically to efforts aimed at improving a process. However, everyone must recognize that standards should not be written in stone, and the purpose of the exercise is to raise the standard, not merely to enforce it.
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Scholtes, Peter R., et al. The Team Handbook. Joiner Associates Inc. Madison: WI. 1988.
This book itself is the product of seamless teamwork. Based heavily on the teachings of American quality guru Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the team handbook is an easily accessible and highly practical guide to quality improvement. Dr. Deming, a statistician by profession, developed many of his theories while helping American industry improve its military production during the Second World War. In 1950 he accepted an invitation from the Japanese to help them improve the quality of their consumer products. He taught the Japanese about statistical process control, continuous incremental improvement, and the importance of ongoing customer research.
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Due largely to Dr. Deming's influence, the "Made in Japan" label has become a globally recognized mark of quality. This book contains many of the same insights, and is an invaluable resource for organizations using teams to improve quality. Numerous diagrams, charts and worksheets demystify the methods of quality improvement, and provide a framework which companies can use to tap the full potential of each and every employee.
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