Resources / Control plan template
Free Excel template
Free control plan template for Excel
A control plan table with one row per critical step, the same table filled with a worked example, and short instructions. It is the main deliverable of the Control phase, and the file is ready to hand over to the process owner.
In short
A control plan template is a table that sets, for each critical step of an improved process, the metric to watch, its limits, how often it is checked, who owns it and what to do if it goes out of limits. It keeps the gains of a project once the team moves on.
control-plan-template.xlsx
Works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice. No sign-up.
What is in the file
- —“Template” sheet: the columns Step, Metric, Limits, Frequency, Owner and Reaction, with bordered empty rows.
- —“Example” sheet: the same table filled in for a plant that wants new operators to reach standard output sooner.
- —“How to use” sheet: the steps to complete it, in short.
How to use it
- 1List the critical steps. Only the steps that changed in the improvement, or that decide the result. One row each.
- 2Choose a metric and its limits. Something that can be measured at the step, with the range that counts as normal.
- 3Set the frequency and the owner. How often it is checked and which role checks it. A role lasts longer than a name.
- 4Write the reaction for each row. What to do when the result goes out of limits, who is informed and how the cause is investigated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the reaction column for?
It says what to do when a result goes out of limits: the immediate action to contain it, who is informed and how the cause is investigated. Without it, the plan only records problems.
Who owns the control plan?
The process owner, not the project team. The team builds it and hands it over at the end of the Control phase, and the checks then become part of daily management.
Excel or a dedicated tool?
For a single project, a spreadsheet does the job well. When several projects run at once, LeanOS — a web app for DMAIC projects — keeps each charter, its KPIs and its actions linked, with a portfolio view across projects, and its free plan covers one project.
Run the whole project in one place
Charter, SIPOC, KPIs, causes, actions and control plan linked, with an AI copilot that drafts the first version.
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