This presentation is an overview on how to implement PDCA (Plan – Do – Check – Act) in the field of Lean Sales and Marketing. It includes an outline for standard work of that cycle and an embedded video with Dr. Michael Balle, the Gemba Coach at the Lean Enterprise discussing the Power of Check in PDCA. The video goes on to discuss how to test your opinion with PDCA.
Graham Hill former head of CRM at Toyota Financial Services states that:
Marketing in highly competitive markets is about exploring new propositions on the innovation fitness landscape. The environment determines where to start and complex marketing environments need EDCA. EDCA = Explore, PDCA = Plan, SDCA = Standardize, marketing operations are all about moving along the EDCA>PDCA>SDCA pathway.
Lean Sales and Marketing is essentially a knowledge transfer system and PDCA is an incredibly powerful tool for defining and closing knowledge gaps. Starting with the unknown, we start with EDCA. As we move along the marketing pathway we arrive at a known problem/knowledge gap and PDCA is utilized. Viewing sales and marketing from a knowledge versus a performance gap perspective, can make things a little fuzzy. Refining the Marketing pathway into three separate distinctive cycles of SALES EDCA, SALES PDCA, SALES SDCA allows team roles to be defined and provides clarity to the process. In the blog post Practical Approach to Innovation used by Disney, a video demonstrates an approach developed by Walt Disney and based on the roles of Dreamer, Realist and Critic. However, instead of thinking of the Dreamer think EDCA, Realist think PDCA and Critic think SDCA. This serves as a great analogy on when to use the three disciplines and how they interact with each other.
More information is available in my posts, Lean Canvas for Lean EDCA-PDCA-SDCA and The EDCA Cycle Description for a Lean Engagement Team.
