What must be done to the plan during the "CHECK" phase of PDCA if outcomes do not meet benchmarks?

During the "CHECK" phase of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, the primary objective is to evaluate the outcomes of the implemented plan against established benchmarks. If the outcomes do not meet these benchmarks, it is crucial to modify the plan accordingly. This means that practitioners should analyze why the desired results were not achieved and identify areas for improvement.

Adjusting the plan allows for iterations that refine processes and address any shortcomings that were discovered during the evaluation. This approach fosters a continuous improvement cycle, which is at the heart of the PDCA methodology. It emphasizes learning from both successes and failures, leading to enhanced performance and better outcomes in subsequent cycles.

The other choices, while associated with quality improvement processes, do not align with the core principle of the CHECK phase, which focuses on assessment and adjustment rather than documentation, ignoring discrepancies, or immediate implementation of entirely new plans without first modifying the existing one.