Identify a problem or opportunity and develop a hypothesis for change. This involves goal-setting and determining the processes necessary to deliver results.

If the word you are looking at doesn't fit into that simple four-step rhythm, it is likely part of another framework like Kaizen, Six Sigma, or Total Quality Management (TQM).

To drive the point home, Marta told a story.

"Design" is often confused with "Plan." While planning involves design work, the PDCA cycle specifically uses the term .

| | Stages | |---|---| | PDCA (Deming) | Plan, Do, Check, Act | | DMAIC (Six Sigma) | Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control | | SDCA (Standardization) | Standardize, Do, Check, Act | | 8D Problem Solving | D1-D8 (e.g., Define, Describe, Contain, Root Cause, Correct, Prevent) | | Kaizen | No fixed stages; focuses on continuous small changes |

If you study Lean or Six Sigma, you might accidentally blend DMAIC’s “Improve” or “Control” into PDCA. Remember: . It does not include analytical or control phases as separate steps.

To directly answer the search query :