Which four steps make up the PDCA Cycle?

The PDCA Cycle, which stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act, is a fundamental process in quality management and continuous improvement. This cycle emphasizes the importance of systematic decision-making and ongoing adjustments based on data analysis.

In the Planning phase, objectives and processes necessary to deliver the desired results are established. After that comes the Doing phase, where the plan is executed, and the process or change is implemented. This is followed by the Checking phase, where the outcomes of the implementation are measured and compared against the expected results to identify any discrepancies. Finally, the Acting phase involves taking action based on what was learned in the previous step, which may include making adjustments to improve the process further or standardizing successful changes across the organization.

The other options refer to different concepts that are not recognized as the PDCA Cycle. They do not align with the standard terminology and sequence used in quality management frameworks, which specifically emphasize the iterative process of planning, executing, checking, and then acting on the findings to foster continuous improvement.