What are the four stems to E. Edward Deming's four-step continuous improvement processes?

The four stems of E. Edward Deming's continuous improvement process are Plan, Do, Check, Act, which collectively form a cycle aimed at fostering ongoing improvement in processes, products, or services within organizations.

In the "Plan" phase, teams identify opportunities for improvement and devise a plan for change. This involves gathering relevant information, analyzing the current situation, and determining specific goals.

Next, in the "Do" phase, the team implements the plan on a small scale to test its effectiveness. This step is crucial because it helps in understanding how proposed changes impact the existing processes without fully committing resources.

After implementation, the "Check" phase involves assessing the results of the test. Team members compare the outcomes against the objectives set during the planning phase to evaluate success and identify areas needing adjustments.

Lastly, the "Act" phase is where the team takes the lessons learned from the Check phase to refine the process further. Successful changes are standardized and implemented on a broader scale, while any failures are analyzed to understand what went wrong, thus feeding back into another cycle of Plan, Do, Check, Act.

This cycle emphasizes continuous improvement and adaptability, making it a fundamental framework in quality management and organizational development.