Welcome to Mind Tools' Video Learning Series. It's always a great feeling to come up with a solution to a problem, but you need to know whether the solution you found will actually work. The Plan-Do-Check-Act model, sometimes known as Plan-Do-Study-Act, was created for just this situation. It was developed by Dr. William Edwards Deming to identify why some products fail to meet customer expectations. Plan-Do-Check-Act or PDCA doesn't just help you solve problems, it gives you a way to test solutions before you decide to go ahead with them. The model's four steps create a feedback loop for continually improving processes, products, or services. The first step is Plan. Take time to identify and define the problem, then define your expectations too. What outcomes do you want? And what are your criteria for success? Brainstorm ideas and choose your solution to the problem. The next step is Do, test your solution with a small scale pilot project. This will minimize disruption to your normal operations if your changes don't work. Remember that in this situation, do means try or test. Full implementation comes later in the Act stage. The third phase is Check, also known as the Study phase, this is where you evaluate the results of your pilot project against your criteria from the planning phase. If your solution didn't work, go back to the first stage. But if your solution did have the desired outcomes, you can move on. However, it might be worth going through the Do and Check phases again for good measure, or to trial a few changes. Only move on when you're completely satisfied with the trial outcome. In the Act stage, you implement your solution. Because your idea has already been tested, you can be confident it will have the desired result. Plan, Do, Check, and Act is a continuous process so it doesn't stop with successful implementation. Your improved product or process now becomes the new baseline, and you can apply PDCA to new ideas in a constant loop of improvement and adjustment. To learn more about the Plan-Do-Check-Act model, see the article that accompanies this video. © 2022 Mind Tools by Emerald Works Limited.