W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993) was a statistician, consultant, engineer, professor, author and lecturer. He is the father of the quality movement, first in Japan after World War II and then later in the United States. It is clear that his ideas understood and implemented in Japan. It appears that has ideas were not as well understood and/or implemented in the United States. There are many reasons this could be the case.
While it may appear that Six Sigma was a Deming creation, a focus on calculating numerical benefits and a specialist nature usually practiced independent of the rest of the system are not things Deming would have approved of. Six Sigma was later created in that manner by Motorola executives in the 1980’s.
A brief video that tells the story of the life of W. Edwards Deming:
A video with Fearless Revival posthumous influencer Russell Ackoff and W. Edwards Deming:
W. Edwards Deming‘s 14 Points for Management
1) Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and services
2) Adopt the new philosophy
3) Cease dependence on mass inspection
4) End the practice of awarding business on price tag alone
5) Constantly and forever improve the systems of production and services
6) Institute modern methods of training on the job
7) Institute modern methods of supervision and leadership
8) Drive out fear
9) Break down barriers between departments
10) Eliminate numerical goals for the work force
11) Eliminate work standards and numerical quotas
12) Remove barriers to pride of workmanship
13) Institute a vigorous program of education and training for everyone
14) Create a structure in top management that will push every day on the above 13 points.
Video about W. Edward Deming‘s 14 Points:
W. Edwards Deming‘s Seven Deadly Sins
1) Lack of constancy of purpose
2) Emphasis on short-term profits
3) Evaluation by performance, merit rating, or annual review of performance
4) Mobility of management
5) Running a company on visible figures alone
6) Excessive medical costs
7) Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers who work for contingency fees
W. Edwards Deming‘s A Lesser Category of Obstacles:
1) Neglecting long-range planning
2) Relying on technology to solve problems
3) Seeking examples to follow rather than developing solutions
4) Excuses, such as “our problems are different”
5) Obsolescence in school that management skill can be taught in classes
6) Reliance on quality control departments rather than management, supervisors, managers of purchasing, and production workers
7) Placing blame on workforces who are only responsible for 15% of mistakes where the system designed by management is responsible for 85% of the unintended consequences
8) Relying on quality inspection rather than improving product quality
Rare W. Edwards Deming Humor Video (DRY Humor):
W. Edwards Deming on Intrinsic Motivation:
W. Edwards Deming Quotes:
Uncontrolled variation is the enemy of quality. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
The worker is not the problem. The problem is at the top management! – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
Learning is not compulsory; it’s voluntary. Improvement is not compulsory; it’s voluntary. But to survive, we must learn. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
A manager of people needs to understand that all people are different. This is not ranking people. He needs to understand that the performance of anyone is governed largely by the system that he works in, the responsibility of management. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
It is important that an aim never be defined in terms of a specific activity or method. It must always relate to a better life for everyone. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
A system must be managed. It will not manage itself. Left to themselves in the Western world, components become selfish, competitive, independent profit centres, and thus destroy the system. . . . The secret is cooperation between components toward the aim of the organization. We cannot afford the destructive effect of competition. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
. . .the principle that where there is fear, there will be wrong figures. . . . – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
Management’s job is to improve the system. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
Managing by results only makes things worse. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes
We have to bring back the individual. Management has smothered the individual. – W. Edwards Deming Quotes