Deming’s Model for Continuous Improvement

Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s model for improvement guided our development of the CPI process. It includes the PDSA cycle coupled with three important questions:

1. What are we trying to accomplish?
2. How will we know that a change is an improvement?
3. What change can we make that will result in improvement?

Plan: Agree on the change to be tested and plan your actions for the cycle. Identify what your objectives are and what you want to achieve. Agree on the measurements you will use to measure your changes.

Do: Carry out the change or test. Observe where any problems lie and start collecting data for analysis.

Study: Study the data you have collected, review, discuss, and reflect with your team about the impact of the change and the test, and about what you have learned. Agree on next steps.

Act: Planning your next change cycle based on the reflection of the test within the Study phase or planning full implementation based on your results.