Free PDCA Template (Plan-Do-Check-Act)
Start from a filled-in example, then run your own cycle on the blank template. Plan with a baseline, a goal and a root cause; do a small test; check the result against the goal and a comparison group; then act: make the change standard, or adjust it and run another cycle.
What is in the pack
- Filled-in example first: an online store cuts "where is my order?" contacts, tested in one warehouse
- Blank PDCA one-pager: plan, do, check and act, with a prompt for every field
- Test tracker: the test group against a comparison group, week by week; Met / Missed is calculated
- Action plan by step, with status dropdowns; overdue actions turn red
- The one-pager as a Word document, plus a printable PDF
PDCA example: cutting "where is my order?" contacts
Illustrative example, not customer data. This is page 1 of the template; page 2 is the same one-pager, blank.
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Plan: problem and goal | "Where is my order?" contacts are 31% of all support contacts (2,480 of 8,000 a month). Goal: under 15% by the end of a four-week test. |
| Plan: root cause | Customers hear nothing between "order confirmed" and "delivered"; 64% of these contacts come two to four days after the order. |
| Plan: change and test | A "shipped" message with the tracking link, and a "delayed" message after 48 hours without a carrier scan. Tested in warehouse A only; warehouses B and C are the comparison. |
| Do | Messages on for warehouse A from 2 Mar: 9,140 orders in four weeks. Surprise: 3% of SMS failed for numbers without a country code, fixed in week 2. |
| Check | Order-status contacts fell to 14% in the test group and stayed at 30% in the comparison group. CSAT after delivery 84% against 78%; SMS opt-outs 0.3%. Goal met. |
| Act | Rolled out to all three warehouses on 6 Apr and written into the delivery process. Cycle 2: a delivery-date estimate in the delayed message. |
The four steps of the PDCA cycle
- 1Plan: describe the problem with a baseline, set a measurable goal, find the root cause, and decide what change you will test and how.
- 2Do: run the change on a small scale (one site, one team, a few weeks) and write down what happens, including the surprises.
- 3Check: compare the results with the goal and with a group that did not get the change.
- 4Act: if the goal is met, make the change the standard way of working; if not, adjust the plan and run another cycle.
PDCA, 8D, CAPA and DMAIC: which one when?
| Method | Use it when | Template |
|---|---|---|
| PDCA | You want to test an improvement small before rolling it out, and repeat | This page |
| 8D | A customer complaint needs a formal report, from containment to prevention | Open the template |
| CAPA | A specific problem must be fixed for good and proven with a 30/60/90-day check | Open the template |
| DMAIC | A large, data-heavy Six Sigma project (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) |
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Frequently asked questions
Is the PDCA template free?
Yes. The printable PDF downloads without an email. The Excel pack and the Word one-pager are sent to your email for free.
What does PDCA stand for?
Plan, Do, Check, Act. It is also called the Deming cycle or the Shewhart cycle, and some teams write PDSA: Plan, Do, Study, Act.
What is an example of the PDCA cycle?
In the example on this page, an online store finds that 31% of support contacts ask "where is my order?". It plans a shipping message, tests it in one of three warehouses for four weeks, checks that the share fell to 14% there while the other warehouses stayed at 30%, and then rolls it out everywhere.
What is the difference between PDCA and DMAIC?
PDCA is a short loop for testing one change at a time, and it is repeated. DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is a longer Six Sigma project structure for complex problems with a lot of data. Many teams use PDCA inside the Improve step.
How long should a PDCA cycle take?
Long enough to see the effect in your measure and short enough to keep the momentum. For most service changes, the Do step runs two to eight weeks.
Is there a Word, Excel or Google Sheets version?
Yes. The pack has an Excel workbook with four sheets (example, blank one-pager, test tracker, action plan) and a Word version of the one-pager. For Google Sheets, upload the .xlsx file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; the dropdowns and formulas carry over.
What if the problem shows up in thousands of complaints?
The Plan step is only as good as its root cause. Pivony runs root cause analysis on all of your complaints, reviews and tickets, so the cycle starts from the full picture instead of a sample.
Have thousands of complaints, reviews or tickets?
Pivony runs root cause analysis on all of your customer feedback, not a workshop sample.
Get a free root cause audit