PDCA
A Tool For Continuous Improvement
4664-1
Objectives
 Introduce Lean Six Sigma (LSS) principles
 Identify the steps of the PDCA problem
solving model used in a LSS model
 Identify and use various quality problem
solving tools
 Identify an use various team dynamic tools
 Standardize corporate wide PDCA process
4664-2
LSS Yellow Belt
 A Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt is an individual who has
a broad understanding of LSS and the basic continuous
improvement tools
 Yellow Belts participate on improvement teams as well
as use the tools, as applicable, in their day-to-day jobs
4664-3
What is Six Sigma
 Six Sigma is a business management strategy, originally
developed by Motorola, that today enjoys widespread
application in many sectors of industry
 Six Sigma seeks to identify and remove the causes of
defects and errors in manufacturing and business
processes. Its primary focus is on process targeting and
variation reduction
 It uses a set of quality tools, including statistical methods,
and creates a special infrastructure of people within the
organization who are experts in these methods
 Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization
follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified
financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase)
4664-4
What is Lean
Standardized
Work
“Lean” is a business
management strategy,
originally called the
“Toyota Production
System” that was born
at Toyota in the early
1950’s
Quick
Changeover
Kanban
5S/
Visual
Factory
Lean
Manufacturing
Problem
Solving
Kaizen
Error
Proofing
Total
Productive
Maintenance
4664-5
7 Forms of Waste
CORRECTION
WAITING
Repair or
Rework
Any non-work time
waiting for tools,
supplies, parts, etc..
OVER PROCESSING
Doing more work than
is necessary
Types
of
Waste
MOTION
Any wasted motion
to pick up parts or
stack parts. Also
wasted walking
OVERPRODUCTION
Producing more
than is needed
before it is needed
INVENTORY
TRANSPORTATION
Maintaining excess
inventory of raw mat’ls, Wasted effort to transport
materials, parts, or
parts in process, or
finished goods into or
finished goods.
out of storage, or
between
processes.
4664-6
What is Lean Six Sigma (LSS)
Lean Six Sigma is a business management strategy
that combines the tools and techniques of Lean
Manufacturing and Six Sigma to form an integrated
continuous improvement strategy
4664-7
Costs
Total Product or Service Price to Customer
Profit
Profit
Total
Cost
to
Produce
or
Provide
0
A.
Budget Constraints and
Competition Drive a
Lowered Price
Profit
Waste
(COPQ)
Theoretical
Profit
Profit
Waste
(COPQ)
COPQ
Costs
i.e.,
Cost of
Doing the
Right
Things
Right
the First
Time
B.
Theoretical
Theoretical
Costs
Costs
C.
D.
E.
4664-8
What is PDCA Problem Solving
 Originally developed by Walter Shewhart in 1930s.
Sometimes referred as “Shewhart Cycle”
 Solving problems by finding real root causes
 Taking action that permanently removes the problem
 Part of the Continuous Improvement methodology
 Involves two main strategies

Analysis

Action
4664-9
PDCA
ACT
PLAN
- Standardize actions
- Understand gaps between
customer’s expectations and
what you deliver
- Improve process first by
analyzing root causes and identify
solutions for these problems
- Continue to collect data
and verify goals
CHECK
DO
- Observe the effect of the change
- Implement solutions using
action planning
- Collect data to verify changes
are working
- Collect data to verify goals
4664-10
What is Root Cause Analysis
What is Root Cause Analysis?



Process to arrive at the
preliminary causes of a problem
Finding the reason a problem
exists and eliminate it with
corrective actions
Front-end work

Defining the problem in
quantifiable terms

Testing potential root causes

Verifying the root cause
Common Barriers to Root
Cause Analysis

Problem described incorrectly

Problem solving effort expedited

Poor team participation

No logical process

Permanent corrective action not
implemented

Over-reliance on experience
4664-11
PDCA Project Status Report
PDCA PROJECT STATUS REPORT
PROJECT TITLE
DATE
LOCATION
CUSTOMER
PLAN
DEPARTMENT
TEAM LEADER
TEAM MEMBERS
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
IMPLEMENT CONTAINMENT
DEFINE THE GOAL
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS
DO
IMPLEMENT ACTION PLAN
CHECK
EVALUATE RESULTS
ANALYSIS OF GAPS
ACT
STANDARDIZE
MONITOR RESULTS
Page 1
4664-12
Use a Team Approach
Starting out right

Set meetings, procedures,
ground rules

Team Membership


Who are the other members?

Why are they here?

What is my role in this team?

WIIFM
Select a team champion
Select team members
Select team support
Are all areas of
technical expertise
available?
Communications
Establish time and resources
to work on project
4664-13
Stages of Team Development
 The stages include:

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing
 Each stage is unique and each team
experiences it in a different way
 Things are always changing
4664-14
Team Tools: Brainstorming
1. Select a facilitator
v
Probability
of
Correct
Decision
Stre s s or
Pre s s ure
Force s to
the Le ft
2. Give everyone 1-2 minutes to
silently think about the problem
3. Invite everyone to contribute ideas
4. Write down all ideas
Voting
Consensus
Leader
Rules Minority
Majority
Rules
Rules
 Don’t critique ideas
 Use your imagination
 Build on others’ ideas
 Piggybacking
5. Continue until you run out of ideas
6. Discuss and narrow down ideas
using Nominal Group Technique
or Multi-Voting
 Aim for QUANTITY
 Record each idea
4664-15
Plan: Define the Problem
PLAN
Objective:

Review existing data

Specify the internal/external customer
problem by identifying in quantifiable
terms (who, what, when, where, why,
how, how many) for the problem.
DEFINE THE PROBLEM

Use an “Operational Definition”
that has a common meaning to
everyone who reads it

Use verifiable criteria

Symptoms are often mistakenly
used to describe a problem
DEFINE THE GOAL
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS

IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS
Identify the internal/external customer
expectations
4664-16
Plan: Define the Problem
Process

Review existing data

Get team feedback

Go see the problem

Identify process flow

Ask 5W+2H

Are there multiple problems?

Is containment required
Tools

Process Mapping

5W+2H

Operational Definition

Historical Data & Charts

Pareto Chart

PDCA Project Status Sheet
4664-17
Tools: Flowchart Flowcharting Symbols
Process Step
Decision
Documentation
Process
Start or Stop
Connector
Represents functions or steps in the process. A brief
description is written in the box.
Represents a point where there are at least two
alternatives for the next step of the process. A
question is written in the diamond.
Represents a document that is produced as part of
the process. A description is written in the box.
Represents the beginning or end of the process.
Usually labeled START or END.
Used to connect flowcharts between pages or long
distances. Usually labeled with a letter or a number.
Storage
Represents product storage as finished goods or
work in progress.
Inspection
Represents steps where a product is inspected.
4664-18
Tools: Current & Historical Data
 Customer Feedback
 PPM charts, SPC/Run charts
 Program Timelines
 Test Results
 Performance Reports/Feedback
 Input-Process-Output (IPO)
4664-19
Tools: 5W2H
Who? Who is the customer complaining?
What? What is the complaint or opportunity?
When? When did the problem start or occur?
Where? Where is the problem observed?
Why? Why is this problem occurring (known data)?
How? How does the process work?
How Many? How many defects?
4664-20
Tools: Pareto Chart
1st Level Pareto
2nd Level Pareto
35
Sources of
Application Errors
30
1 = Incorrect Data
2 = Missing Data
3 = Bad Data Entry
4 = Spelling
5 = Penmanship
6 = Other
25
20
30
20
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
2
3
4
5
6
VALUE
1=
2=
3=
4=
5=
6=
25
15
1
Sources of
Incorrect Data
35
 What is the relative
importance of each
part of the problems?
 What should be the
starting point for
problem solving?
Where should we
focus our attention?
1
2
3
4
5
6
4664-21
Tools: Operational Definition
Description of
Problem
WHO


IS
IS NOT
Cust omer Name
Location
WHAT



P roduct
P rocess
System
WHEN



First Seen
When else seen
(dates, events)
When seen in
process life cycle
WHERE


Seen on object
Seen
geographically
WHY

Supportive data
HOW

P rocess
conditions
HOW MANY




Number of
defect
Number of parts
Number of
concerns
T rends
4664-22
Tools: Input-Process-Output
(IPO)
INPUT
-
PROCESS - OUTPUT
(IPO)
People
Material
Perform a Service
Equipment
Policies
Procedures
PROCESS
(ACTIVITY)
Produce a Product
Methods
Environment
Complete a Task
SOURCES OF
VARIABILITY
MEASURES OF
PERFORMANCE
Process
Process
Process
Process
4664-23
Containment Actions
 Is Containment Required?

Define and implement containment actions to isolate the
effect of problem from any internal/external customer
until corrective action is implemented

Verify the effectiveness of the containment action
4664-24
Containment Actions
Minimize effect of problem
on the customer
Common Problems with
Containment Actions

Temporary SOP’s

Considered as permanent solution

100% sorting/inspection

Costly

Do/Perform/Make in-house vs
outsource

Easily forgotten

Typically only address an effect
and not root cause

Same problem/effect will
surface again

Temporary company policies

Additional approvals (signoff)

Single source

Certified operators/people
4664-25
Tool: Containment Action Worksheet
1. Pos s ible Containment
Actions
2. Se le cte dContainment
Action(s )
3. Inte rve ntion in
Proce s s /Sys te m :
 Supplier
 In -House
 Customer
 End User
 Other: _________________
4.
Ve rification Measure m e nt
 Measurement
 Type of Data Collection Chart
5. Validation Me asure m ent
 Measurement
 Type of Data Collection Chart
4664-26
Plan: Define the Goal
PLAN
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Objective:
DEFINE THE GOAL

Identify “What is the end goal”
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS
4664-27
Plan: Define the Goal
Process
Tools

Review data


Identify goals that are
measurable
Customer Expectations
(Internal/External)

Team Tools
Does everyone understand?

PDCA Project Status Sheet

4664-28
Plan: Root Cause Analysis
PLAN
Objective:
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
DEFINE THE GOAL
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS

Identify all potential causes
that could explain why the
problem occurred

Isolate and verify the root
cause by testing each
potential cause against the
problem description
IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS
4664-29
Plan: Root Cause Analysis
Process
Tools

Brainstorm additional data
requirements

Team Tools

Repeated Why

Analyze data

Cause & Effect Diagram

Identify potential causes

Check Sheets

Collect data to isolate root causes

SPC and Run Charts

Select potential root cause

Histogram

Prioritize actions

Process Flowchart

Pareto Chart

Scatter Diagram

Timeline

Root Cause Analysis Worksheet

PDCA Project Status Sheet
4664-30
Identify Potential Causes
 Continue to ask the repeated “Why” statements
 List potential root causes

Group discussion / Brainstorming session

Cause and Effect diagram

FMEA
 If the problem is new, develop a time line
4664-31
Tools: Repeated Why
Poor Quality Parts
Stick to the facts
WHY?
(Because the)
WHY?
(Because the)
WHY?
(Because the)
WHY?
(Because the)
WHY?
(Because the)
The Problem Statement is…….
4664-32
Tools: Cause and Effect
Category

Cause
Cause
Cause
Effect
Cause
Cause & Effect Diagrams
are also known as
Fishbone Diagrams
Category
Typical Categories

Manpower

Machine

Methods

Material

Mother nature
(Environment)

Measurement
4664-33
Tools: Check Sheet
Carmen’s World Famous Whoopie Pies
Project:
Types of
defects in
finished pies
Defect
Data collected by:
Dates: June 20-26
Location:
Lot size: 200
SUN
MON
Maine plant
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
VALUE

What facts or data patterns
will help us to better
understand the problem
and its cause(s) ?

How do we translate our
« opinions » about the
problem into « facts » ?

Check sheets are used to
capture factual data from
the beginning. They are
filled by operators to
describe the situation
following the data collection
plan.
Total
Too much cream
24
Too little cream
9
Too crumbly
21
Too big
13
Too small
14
Not sweet
enough
9
Not chocolaty
enough
1
Has a bite in it
6
4664-34
Tool: Histogram
VALUE
Frequency

How frequently does a certain
effect occur?

What does the frequency
distribution look like - a normal
curve or some other statistical
form ?

How frequently is the process
outside of specifications ?

What is the nature of the
deviation outside of
specifications, e.g., synthetically
or not,...
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Shaft diameter
4664-35
Tools: Histogram
Normal Distribution
Multi-Modal Distribution
Bi-Modal Distribution
Positively Skewed
Negatively Skewed
4664-36
Tools: Sigma/Distribution Curve
68%
95%
99.7%
–3s
–2s
–1s
X
+1s
+2s
+3s
4664-37
Tools: Run Chart
Sam ple Run Chart
78
Series1
76
74
72
Value
70
68
66
64
62
60
58
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
39
41
43
45
47
49
Time or Sequence
4664-38
Tools: Sigma/Distribution
Curve
UCL
3 Sigma
2 Sigma
68%
1 Sigma
X
1 Sigma
2 Sigma
95%
3 Sigma
99.7%
–3s
–2s
–1s
X
LCL
+1s
+2s
+3s
4664-39
Tools: Run Chart / SPC
VALUE
 In the variation we observe in a
problem characteristic or
parameter, what part is natural
variation (within the process
Control chart
control limits) and what part is due
to specific special causes ?
random variation vs. special events
 How often does the process go out
of control?
Out of control
 Are there any discernable trends
USL
that should concern us ? Can any
preventive actions be taken based
Upper control limit
on these trends ?
Average
Lower control limit
LSL
Time
4664-40
Tools: Scatter Diagram
4.5
Variable 2
Positive Correlation
An increase in y may be
related to an increase in x.
4.0
3.5
150
y
400
650
Variable 1
Negative Correlation
A decrease in y may be
related to an increase in x.
4.0
3.5
150
400
650
Variable 1

Confirm that 2
variables are
correlated

What is the
nature of the
relationship
between the
variables ?
x
4.5
Variable 2
VALUE
x
y
4.5
Variable 2
No Correlation
There is no demonstrated
connection between y and x.
4.0
3.5
150
400
650
x
4664-41
Tool: Root Cause Analysis Worksheet
List of Potential Causes
Data
Required
Responsibility
Data
Analysis
Tools
Is this a
Root Cause?
4664-42
Plan: Identify Solutions
PLAN
Objective:
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
DEFINE THE GOAL

Define the best permanent
corrective actions

Identify measures to ensure
the root cause is eliminated
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS
4664-43
Plan: Identify Solutions
Process
Tools

Identify best solutions

Team Tools

Verify solutions verses root cause

Action Planning

Select best solution

Force Field Analysis

Clearly describe solution

Cause & Effect Diagram

Determine if simple test is
possible

Scatter Diagram

Verify measurable

Decision Matrix

Develop Implementation
Action Plan

Root Cause Solution Worksheet

PDCA Project Status Sheet
4664-44
Tools: Action Matrix
Big Effect on Root Cause
Big Payoff/Easy to do
Big Payoff/Hard to do
DO THESE NOW!
PRIORITIZE/PLAN
TO IPLEMENT THESE
HARD
EASY
DO THESE AFTER
DOING EVERYTHING
ABOVE
Minimal Benefit/Easy to do
SKIP THESE
Minimal Benefit/Hard to do
No Effect on Root Cause
4664-45
Tools: Force Field Analysis
DRIVERS
ISSUE
RESTRAINERS
4664-46
Tools: Root Cause Solution Worksheet
Root Cause:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
List of Potential Solutions
Pros / Cons
Verification
Method
Responsibility
4664-47
Do: Implement Action Plan
Objective:

Implement permanent
corrective actions

Evaluate results of action plan
IMPLEMENT ACTION
PLAN
4664-48
Do: Implement Action Plan
Process
Tools

Review action plans

Action Planning Worksheet

Assign responsibilities

Timelines

Implement solutions

PDCA Project Status Sheet

Conduct training

Establish controls

Verify measurement

Remove containment if necessary
4664-49
Tools: Action Planning Worksheet
Core Team Member:
______________________________________________________________________________
Actions/Steps
Resources
Responsibility
Start
Date
Complete
Date
Validatio
n Method
Status
Comments
4664-50
Check: Evaluate Results
Objective:


Evaluate Results
Verify corrective actions before
the actions are permanently
implemented

Process capability run

Quality data analysis

Field test

Prototype
Rework report

Document verification results

Update quality documents

Verify the solution with customer
4664-51
Check: Evaluate Results
Process
Tools
 Collect data
 Quality Charts
 Analyze data
 PDCA Project Status Sheet

Are results achieved?

Has root cause been
eliminated?
 Confirm results with customer
 Verify no other issues introduced
4664-52
Act: Standardize and Monitor
Objective:

Validate corrective actions


STANDARDIZE &
MONITOR
Evaluate the effectiveness of
current measurements to
detect failure
Update quality procedures to
prevent recurrence of this and
all similar problems
4664-53
Act: Standardize and Monitor
Process
Tools


Operating Procedures

PDCA Project Status Sheet
Identify and agree to long term
validation methods

Identify similar products,
product lines, serviced,
equipment, and processes that
could benefit from these
findings and solutions

Update quality documents

Retrain as necessary
4664-54
Tool Matrix
4664-55