I experience as quality manager and consultant in developing countries that in a context of emergent change and turbulence the PDCA-cycle of Shewhart/Deming is not flexible, not fast enough and too limiting to help organisations improve.
I am trying to develop an alternative, focussing on attention, context, commitment, reflection-in-action. In the attachment a draft article on the subject.
Dear Everard,
today PDCA Cycle should comply with the needs of integrated quality/environmental/safety management systems.
We developed a new Cycle, based on Analyze - Proritize - Implement - Meaure - Schedule. We published it on IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.
You may be interested in reading that at
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6675831&queryText%3DToward+Environmental+and+Quality+Sustainability%3A+An+Integrated+Approach+for+Continuous+Improvement
Look at Deming's PDSA cycle (do Google search) and I think you will get a very different impression than you have from you understanding of PDCA.
PDSA is rapid, rigourous and includes both inductive and deductive learning. It can be the fastest way to learn your way to improvement regardless of context and resources.
So please study PDSA a little more before drawing your conclusions.
@ Lloyd
I did myPhD on quality improvement/ PDCA.
You say: "PDSA is rapid, rigourous and includes both inductive and deductive learning. It can be the fastest way to learn your way to improvement regardless of context and resources". .
But it cannot be regardless context and resources, according to recent scientific research. I wotrk in differnet cultures, where PDCA is not generally applicable...
I am suprised about your's and other's reaction to my "assault on Deming's golden rule".....
Hello,
I have found integrating Lean Methodology can assist in narrow down defects in a process. The use of Kaizen assist with bring a group of SMEs together to delvelop a new process and implementing that process, measure , and identify what needs to change and then change it right then and then you go back into implementing process the new changes measure is fine that you reached your goal then you create a maintenance plan. Doing a FMEA to predictive possible barriers and plan for those barrier. The LEAN Merhodology offers many tools for rapid cycle change
Interesting article, Everard. A colleague of mine reported similar experiences in a developing country. I wonder if you are identifying important contextual factors, rather than a whole new model, however? As you note, PDSA / PDCA cycles are widely used in Jaoan, where the culture is distinct. Ideas like nemawashi, for example, do not necessarily translate well, but the use of PDSA cycles themselves still make sense in a Japanese context. As other correspondents have noted, PDSA cycles can, as you know, be very rapid. Perhaps you are identifying a set of factors that need to be considered in some cultures, a little like the API questions in a different context?