W. Edwards Deming was a statistical studies consultant and an international consultant for more than forty years, working primarily with industrial and manufacturing companies, which included Ford, Harley Davidson, and the US Navy. He was the leader in a creating a comprehensive quality revolution that improved the position of the United States as an international competitor. He was the recipient of numerous distinguished awards and honors during his lifetime.
He is the founder of the W. Edwards Deming Institute® and the author of several books, including "Out of the Crisis" and "The New Economics." In October 1999, the Los Angeles Times business staff compiled a list of the most influential business people of the century. W. Edwards Deming was featured with General Douglas MacArthur for their work in rebuilding Japan after 1945. Dr. Deming was credited as a catalyst for Japan's economic surge in well-made consumer goods.
In the 1970's Dr. Deming wrote his now famous, "Fourteen Points of Management" to help businesses with a new model for success based on the principles of Total Quality Management. Beginning in 1980 he began his seminars and continued working until his death in 1993 at age 93.
What is Total Quality Management?
TQM is management and control activities based on the leadership of top management in conjunction with the support and involvement of all employees and all departments: planning, development, sales, service, etc. These management and control activities focus on quality assurance by which those qualities which satisfy the customer are built into products and services during the above processes and then are offered to consumers. It is a management philosophy that seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, sales, budgeting, customer service, production, etc.) to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. The development of TQM can be traced to several consultants, including Dr. Deming, Philip B. Crosby, and Joseph M. Juran.
Deming's 14 Points of Management
Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service. (Organizations must allocate resources for long-term planning, research, and education, and for the constant improvement of the design of their products and services.)
Adopt the new philosophy. (Government regulations representing obstacles must be removed, transformation of companies is needed.)
Cease dependence on mass inspections. (Quality must be designed and built into the processes, preventing defects rather than attempting to detect and fix them after they have occurred.)
End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tags alone. (Organizations should establish long-term relationships with [single] suppliers.)
Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service. (Management and employees must search continuously for ways to improve quality and productivity.)
Institute training. (Training at all levels is a necessity, not optional.)
Adopt and institute leadership. (Managers should lead, not supervise.)
Drive out fear. (Make employees feel secure enough to express ideas and ask questions.)
Break down barriers between staff areas. (Working in teams will solve many problems and will improve quality and productivity.)
Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force. (Problems with quality and productivity are caused by the system, not by individuals. Posters and slogans generate frustration and resentment.)
Eliminate numerical quotas for the work force and numerical goals for people in management. (In order to meet quotas, people will produce defective products and reports.)
Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship. (Individual performance reviews are a great barrier to pride of achievement.)
Encourage education and self-improvement for everyone. (Continuous learning for everyone.)
Take action to accomplish the transformation. (Commitment on the part of both [top] management and employees is required.)
The Deming System of Profound Knowledge™
These are Deming's four parts to profound knowledge. (The various segments of the system of profound knowledge proposed here cannot be separated. They interact with each other. Thus, knowledge of psychology is incomplete without knowledge of variation.)
Appreciation for a system
Knowledge about variation
Theory of knowledge
Psychology
Appreciation For a System
The appreciation for a system is one major element to success for any business. A system must improve constantly and management must search for ways to improve the quality and productivity within the frame work of the company. A system is a written step-by-step procedure of tasks, simplifying them to their most elemental level, then to the complete procedure of each duty of a job.
Systems that are written are the roadmap to increased productivity and quality.
One of Deming's first jobs was with a sugar company in the early 1900's. This was an era of farmers helping farmers in Sioux City, IA. One of the advantages in this time period was that each got more for less; he was paid $1.25 per week. Life expectancy in 1900 was 47 years. People worked together because they had to: it was in all of their best interests. In 1900 emerged the 'Brownie' camera and the ink pen. Everyone worked and they were managed through direct management. Post war standards brought another awakening to U.S. business. During the war, quality had decreased and quantity had increased.
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