The Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle is a four-step method used for making improvements in businesses. It's also called the Deming cycle or Shewhart cycle. This cycle is like a loop that keeps repeating to help businesses continuously get better.

Here's what each step means:

1. Plan:

First, you figure out what needs to change and make a plan for it. This step is like making a roadmap for the change you want to make.

2. Do:

Next, you put your plan into action on a small scale. It's like trying out your plan to see if it works in real life.

3. Check:

After trying out your plan, you check to see if it's working like you hoped. You look at the results and see if you're moving in the right direction.

4. Act:

Based on what you learned from checking, you take action. If things are going well, you keep going. If not, you adjust your plan and try again.

You can use the PDCA cycle whenever you want to:

1. Start a new project to improve something.

2. Make a process, product, or service better.

3. Figure out how to do a task better.

4. Keep getting better at what you're doing.

5. Make sure things keep improving over time.

The PDCA cycle helps businesses keep improving by making changes, trying them out, checking how well they work, and then making more changes based on what they learned. It's like a cycle of learning and improving that never stops.