Re: PDCA/PDSA

[Al Viswanathan <alv1@gte.net>]

Doug Hensler wrote:

"As one of Dr. Deming's last works, his System of Profound Knowledge can
be interpreted as the umbrella work under which all his past work can be
sheltered, e.g., PDCA/PDSA is sheltered primarily under the Theory of
Knowledge panel."

Use of the PDSA Cycle without an understanding of SoPK, could lead one
"off to the Milky Way". I feel that SoPK thinking is implicit in Dr.
Deming's writings prior to TNE (for example, "Out of the Crisis").

Here are some references to help our understanding of the PDSA Cycle:

1. Dr. Deming: Quote from page 59 of  TNE , "The PDSA Cycle is a flow
diagram for learning and for improvement of a process or of a product". 

More on pages 131 through 133 of TNE.  Also, in Volume 9 of  the "Four
day Seminar on Video Tape", available from WEDI. 

2. Ron Moen, et al: The second edition (1999) of their book, "Quality
Improvement through Planned Experimentation" describes the PDSA Cycle in
chapter 1, in some detail.

Hope this helps.

Finally  a question. Is not the PDSA Cycle akin to "double loop
learning", and also "action research"?

Al Viswanathan
alv1@gte.net
425-747-7575