1. Plan: Identify a problem or opportunity for improvement. Develop a plan that outlines objectives, processes, and resources needed to achieve the desired outcome.
2. Do: Implement the plan on a small scale. This involves executing the proposed changes and collecting data for evaluation.
3. Check: Analyze the results from the implementation. Compare the actual outcomes with the expected results to see if the goals were met. This step often involves reviewing the data and identifying any issues.
4. Act: Based on the analysis, decide on the next steps. If the plan was successful, standardize the improvements. If not, identify what went wrong and revise the plan for the next cycle.

The PDCA cycle encourages ongoing evaluation and refinement, making it a valuable tool for fostering continuous improvement and problem-solving.