Most companies do a good job of setting annual goals and developing action plans for each half-year and month to achieve those goals.
However, surprisingly few take the next step and translate those plans into specific weekly action plans.
In this article, we’ll look at how store managers—the people responsible for putting plans into practice—can run a Weekly PDCA cycle effectively, along with some important points to keep in mind.
(This article assumes that annual, half-year, and monthly plans are already in place.)
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How to Run a Weekly PDCA Cycle
1) PDCA for Initiatives and Store Operations
First, create a Weekly PDCA Report. Ideally, a single report should include both a Planning (Plan) section and a Review (Check) section.
Planning (Plan)
(1) Weekly Schedule: Use a weekly calendar to record public holidays, local events, delivery dates, sales meetings, internal company events, important document deadlines, and other key dates.
(2) Promotional Initiatives and Priority Areas: Record new product launch dates, promotional periods, advertising and announcement dates, priority products, and promotional activities planned by the shopping centers or other facilities where your store is located.
Review (Check)
(3) Review of the Previous Week: Review key figures, including the previous week’s sales target, sales from the same week last year, actual sales, and results for major KPIs.
Analyze the gaps between the target, last year’s results, and this year’s actual performance.
It is also useful to record qualitative observations that cannot be captured in numerical data, such as customer feedback and how customers move through the store.
Identify what went according to plan and what did not, then use those findings to improve operations in the coming week.
2) PDCA for Numerical Performance
For easier reference, it is better to prepare a separate report dedicated to numerical performance rather than include all the figures in the Weekly PDCA Report.
The key performance indicators (KPIs) used to manage sales vary by industry, business type, and company. Each company should therefore standardize its KPIs internally so that every store tracks the same figures.
In addition to operational metrics such as customer count, average spend per customer, average selling price per item, and items purchased per transaction, stores should track sales by product or service category, sales of campaign-related products, and the top three best-selling products of the week.
From a cost-control perspective, estimated labor costs should also be reviewed every week.
Tracking trends such as the number of new app registrations and the number of customers using promotional discount codes can also provide valuable insights for future sales initiatives.
3) PDCA for Employee Development
Employee development is inherently a medium- to long-term process. Precisely because of this, it can easily fall behind when daily operational demands take priority.
That is why it is important to clearly define the goals and actions for each week.
For example, suppose the goal is to bring a new employee’s customer service skills up to the required standard by the end of the month.
In that case, set specific weekly targets for the skills the employee should be able to demonstrate, clarify who will provide the coaching, and review progress every week.
Employee development can be difficult to quantify. However, to make progress more visible, you could imagine the goal as being 100 meters away and describe the employee’s current progress as having reached the 65-meter mark.
Whatever method you use, remember that employee development is built through consistent effort, week after week.
Important Points to Keep in Mind When Running Weekly PDCA
1) Review the Previous Year’s PDCA for the Same Week
When developing a plan, always review the PDCA records for the corresponding week of the previous year.
These records can provide useful ideas and insights for this year’s planning, as well as help you avoid repeating past mistakes.
2) Assign Someone to Take Responsibility for Each Initiative
Once the plan is finalized, assign a person responsible for carrying out each initiative.
Having the designated person take the lead in monitoring progress and conducting reviews will make it easier to keep activities on schedule.
3) Make Sure PDCA Does Not Become a Mere Formality
Avoid situations where plans are created but never implemented, or where reports become nothing more than paperwork submitted to head office.
To prevent PDCA from becoming a routine administrative task, never lose sight of its purpose: increasing sales by improving customer satisfaction.
In Conclusion
Are the store managers in your company consistently running a PDCA cycle every week?
