Which of these elements is not part of the Deming Wheel?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To begin, consider what the Deming Wheel entails in its common forms. The classic PDCA cycle includes Plan, Do, Check (or Study in the PDSA variant), and Act, cycling continuously to drive improvement.
Option 1: act. This is a core component of the wheel; after evaluating outcomes, actions are taken to respond to what was learned. So this choice is not the correct pick for which element is not part.
Option 2: plan. Planning is the initial step of the cycle, where objectives and processes are laid out before any work is done. This makes it an integral part of the wheel.
Option 3: study. In the PDSA version, Study (sometimes labeled Check) is used to analyze results and determine what was learned, guiding subsequent actions. This is indeed part of the cycle in that variant, so it is not the wrong choice.
Option 4: design. The term design does not appear as a standard stage in the Deming Wheel PDCA/PDSA sequence. It is typically used in product or process development contexts but is not one of the four iterative steps of Plan, Do/Act, and Study/Check. Therefore, this is the element not traditionally included in the Deming Wheel as defined by its core cycle.
In summary, Plan and Design differ in their roles relative to the wheel: Plan is a foundational stage, while Design is not a standard component of the PDCA/PDSA cycle. The other options—Act and Plan are explicit steps, and Study (or Check) is the evaluative step—are all part of the wheel, whereas Design is not.

MGS310001.2025FA Test 01: MGS3100

Which of these elements is not part of the Deming Wheel?

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