Explanation
The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) paradigm ensures that organizations can effectively complete the full cycle of the management system, thereby achieving its intended outcomes. The PDCA cycle is a four-step iterative process that helps organizations to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve their management systems. The PDCA cycle consists of the following phases:
Plan: Establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver the desired results.
Do: Implement the processes as planned.
Check: Monitor and measure the processes and results against the objectives and report the outcomes.
Act: Take actions to improve the performance of the processes, if necessary. The PDCA cycle is also known as the Deming cycle, after its creator,W. Edwards Deming. The PDCA cycle is widely used in various management system standards, including ISO 22301, as it provides a structured approach to achieve continual improvement and customer satisfaction. References: ISO 22301 Auditing eBook, page 10 1; ISO 22301:2019, clause 0.3 2