PDCA in your daily life

Your Grocery List is a Genius Blueprint for Improvement. Here's How.

A trip to the supermarket seems simple enough. You make a list, head to the store, and buy what's on it. But how often does that simple plan unfold without a single hitch? An unexpected stock issue, a forgotten item, or a sudden technical glitch can turn a routine chore into a cascade of minor frustrations. This everyday task, however, perfectly illustrates a powerful framework for continuous improvement known as the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle. By dissecting a simple supermarket run, we can uncover profound lessons applicable to both our professional projects and our daily lives.

Lesson 1: No Plan Survives Contact With the Checkout Aisle

You can start with the perfect plan—a well-organized shopping list. But the "Do" phase, the execution, is where that plan ...