DEFINE MEASURE ANALYZE IMPROVE/ CONTROL

INNOVATE

Control Plan

What is it? A Control Plan details how to monitor a process and what to do if
the process goes out of control.

There are three general methods of control:

Prevention Eliminating process variation and protecting a

process from unusual circumstances.
Detection Identifying potential problems early and proactively
addressing them before they become actual
problems.
Response Quickly and effectively detecting problems in a key
performance indicator and taking immediate action.

Why is it useful? A Control Plan will allow you to:

• Outline what to monitor and what to do if the process goes
out of control.
• Document response plans at each key step of the process.
• Transition process ownership to the business.

When should I use it? You should use the Control Plan:
• When you want to ensure your improvements are sustained.
• When a process is ready to be handed back to a business
owner.

Rev. 7/07 Page 1

 DEFINE MEASURE ANALYZE IMPROVE/ CONTROL
INNOVATE

Control Plan

How do I do it? Use the steps below to create a Control Plan:

1. Determine key process steps that require ongoing monitoring.

2. Identify an appropriate metric to be monitored.
3. Determine who will be responsible for monitoring and how often.
4. Determine the appropriate early detection point.
5. Establish the appropriate response when a measure reaches
the early detection point.

Ask yourself these key questions as you create a control plan:

• What steps are most likely to reveal potential issues?
• How will I know when the step is at risk?
• How quickly do I need to respond to ensure we consistently
meet the customer requirements?

What do I do next? Your next steps are:

• Download the Control Plan template from the THINK Toolkit.
• Discuss the customer requirements and the various
methods/options to consistently meet them.
• Follow the steps above to create the Control Plan for your
project.

Rev. 7/07 Page 2