Towards recursive plan-do-check-act cycles for continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is a cornerstone of successful management approaches such as Lean Production, Total Quality Management, and Six Sigma. Its implementation in complex organizational contexts requires a systemic perspective. This paper presents one such perspective on continuous improvement and its implementation methods, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, based on the Viable System Model (ViSM¹). With its underlying cybernetic principles, the ViSM provides a theoretical basis for recursive application of PDCA cycles throughout an organization, both in a top-down- and bottom-up manner. This model can therefore serve as a foundation for implementation support of continuous improvement in complex organizational contexts.