PDS(C)A

["Shper V.L." <shper@vei.ru>]

Denizens,

I'd like to add some words to this interesting topic.

1.	Origin.

Shewhart introduced the cycle "Production-Inspection-Specification"
(p.45 of SMVQC).

I consider as very important the fact that he came to this cycle not
from the viewpoint of "The Theory of Knowledge" 
though he mentioned that this cycle corresponded to the three steps of
acquiring knowledge (ibid.).

He came to this cycle from the theory of variability 
(due to variability production, inspection and specification not
independent) 
and this is clear from his reasoning starting from p.1 of SMVQC.

As far as I can judge most articles and books while telling us about
PDSA 
explain it only as other form of acquiring knowledge process.

If we'll look from this point of view we should dip into the mankind's
history much deeper than times of Gegel and Bacon. 

E.g.: my colleague and friend Yuri Adler with whom I discussed this item
sent me the following except from comments to Chinese treatise (about 3
century b.c.) (in my translation from Russian):

"After something happened the plans are being built. Having created the
plan it should be realized. The events have no single pattern. Acting
along the circle one is going ahead and does not know the limits.
Following the square one stops and introduces division" (Cit. by Russian
ed. of "The Art of Management").

2. Development.

Deming used the cycle "Design-Manufacture-Sale-Investigate Survey" in
his 1950' lecture for Japanese 

(see http://deming.eng.clemson.edu/pub/den/deming_1950.htm).

The most detailed description of the cycle development (as I can judge)
was given by G. Neave 

(see ch.9 in "The Deming Dimension"). 

More general terms facilitate the using of this cycle in various fields.

Japanese made their contribution in returning this cycle in the form of
PDCA 

(and this process at least partly was linked with the problems of
translation from Japan into English)

(see, e.g., K. Ishikawa's book).

It's worth noting that Japanese frequently use the cycle with the stage
"Standardize".

 

3.	The current situation.

 

Now there are very many different types of cycles in use (8D, DMAIC,
Xerox's etc.).

All reflect the same idea but differ in names of stages in accordance
with the tastes of their users.

I think that names may be different but the matter should be
approximately the same. 

And what is important: in one organization everybody should follow one
type of cycle.

 

The language of ISO 9000 std's (corrective and preventive actions) 

assists to the world-wide spread of Shewhart-Deming ideas

though those who use them may not know that they use them:

 

Best wishes to all

 

Vladimir Shper
Russian Deming Association

Moderator's Note: Lest we think the diffusion process has halted...  Vladimir and his team
have translated Professor Neave's The Deming Dimension into Russian!!