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Craftsman's Cribsheet: Plan. Do. Study. Adjust.

Continuous improvement is of necessity in the very DNA of our shops.

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Continuous improvement is of necessity in the very DNA of our shops.

ISO 9000:2000 Section 8.5.1 reads:

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The organization shall continually improve the effectiveness of the quality management system through the use of the quality policy, quality objectives, audit results, analysis of data, corrective and preventive action and management review.

TS16949:2009 reads:

8.5.1.1 Continual Improvement of the Organization The organization must define a process for continual improvement.

8.5.1.2 Manufacturing Process Improvement:

Manufacturing process improvements must continually focus on control and reduction of variation in the product’s characteristics and manufacturing process parameters.

The standard defined continual improvement as, “recurring activity to increase the ability to fulfi ll requirements.” Recurring activity. To me, that means cycle.

Karen Martin shared a graphical representation of PDSA in her book “The Outstanding Organization.”

Plan. Do. Study. Adjust. This is the process of continuous and continual improvement. Plan. Do. Study. Adjust. Repeat.

It’s what we do.

— Precision Machined Products Association