AboshPDCA is a repeating cycle of Plan, Do, Check and Act. State the problem and predict what a change will do, try it on a manageable scale, compare the result with the prediction, then decide whether to keep, adjust or drop it. The comparison matters: completing the planned actions alone does not tell you whether the change helped.
A prediction the team can check
A small trial before wider change
A clear reason to keep or revise the method
Write the prediction before the trial
Describe the gap and the reason you think a change could help. Name the outcome, observation period and conditions of the trial. Make the prediction specific enough to be contradicted by the result.
Choose a fair comparison
Record how the process performs before changing it. Use the same boundary, units and definitions for the trial. Note demand, product mix or staffing differences that could explain a changed result.
A single good shift is a reason to keep checking. It may not represent the conditions the method will face later.
Run the smallest safe test
Choose a limited trial that can answer the question without exposing the wider operation to unnecessary risk. Follow site approval and safety procedures.
- Plan
State the gap, prediction, measures and limits.
- Do
Run the agreed test and record unexpected events.
- Check
Compare the result with the prediction and examine other possible explanations.
- Act
Keep, revise or stop the change, and name the next check.
Explain the result
Keep the measured outcome separate from your explanation of it. If the result differs from the prediction, check what the trial actually tested. The method, assumptions or measurement may need revision.
Record effects on quality, safety and workload even when the main target improves. Those effects can change the decision.
Decide what happens next
When the evidence supports keeping a change, update the working method and train the people affected. If it remains uncertain, plan another test. A useful cycle can end with rejecting an idea before a wider rollout.
A related example from Abolfazl
A purchase-approval trial shows why a faster average can hide extra corrections.
In English, on founder Abolfazl’s personal blog. This is related reading, not an independent technical source.
Practical checklist
- Describe the current gap.
- Write a prediction before acting.
- Agree on measures and a comparison period.
- Record the starting condition.
- Run a limited, approved test.
- Record unexpected events and side effects.
- Compare the outcome with the prediction.
- Decide who updates the method or runs the next test.
FAQ
FAQ
Sources and further reading
Authoritative references used to research and verify this guide.