Maximizing Knowledge Work Productivity: A Time Constrained and Activity Visualized PDCA Cycle

This paper initiates a discussion on how to improve the productivity of “knowledge work.” To do this, the Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA) cycle used for production team work improvement is redefined to be applicable to individual knowledge work. Applying the “redefined PDCA cycle” to accounts receivable collection has resulted in a remarkable improvement of on-time payment collection ratios and the transformation of a simple collection clerk into a knowledge worker. On the basis of this, the concept of the redefined PDCA cycle was incorporated into a management system applicable to general knowledge work. This was done by incorporating four key mechanisms to push workers for the objective achievement as well as to guide their superiors to provide meaningful on-the-job training. The paper shows the usefulness of the PDCA cycle in enhanced knowledge work achievements as well as in nurturing the innovation capabilities of workers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.