W. Edwards Deming
W. Edwards Deming is probably best known for his "14 Points for Management", the key actions management must take to ensure quality, productivity, and success. Among other things, this plan encourages leaders to stop doing business based on price alone, to constantly improve the production system, to utilize job training, and to encourage pride in workmanship. Deming also taught management leaders to encourage cooperation at all levels. In addition, he instructed them to assure job stability and to equally value all employees. He is credited for many other things like contributing largely to the "Japanese Industrial Miracle," whereby Japan not only recovered from the damages of World War II, but quickly came out ahead as a world economic leader. His educational background in Mathematics and Statistics led him to develop the probability notions that we are still influenced by today. Dr. Deming is well known for a wide variety of contributions to society and science, but this essay is going to focus on his management theory, specifically his “14 Points for Management” and his Theory of Profound Knowledge. Please note below a summary of his 14 points from his book Out of the Crisis:
1. Constancy of purpose
Deming suggested that a company's principal role was to stay in business, in order to provide jobs. It accomplishes this through innovation, research, constant improvement and self-maintenance.
2. Adopt the new philosophy
What Deming proposed was a new philosophy. We are in a new economic age, created in Japan, driven by computer speed and accuracy. We can no longer live with previously accepted levels of delays, mistakes, defective materials, and defective workmanship. The pathway for change is a "learning organization" in which consistent defects, uncorrected errors and negativism are unacceptable.
3. Cease dependence on mass inspection.
Eliminate the need for mass inspection to achieve quality by building quality into the product in the first
1. Constancy of purpose
Deming suggested that a company's principal role was to stay in business, in order to provide jobs. It accomplishes this through innovation, research, constant improvement and self-maintenance.
2. Adopt the new philosophy
What Deming proposed was a new philosophy. We are in a new economic age, created in Japan, driven by computer speed and accuracy. We can no longer live with previously accepted levels of delays, mistakes, defective materials, and defective workmanship. The pathway for change is a "learning organization" in which consistent defects, uncorrected errors and negativism are unacceptable.
3. Cease dependence on mass inspection.
Eliminate the need for mass inspection to achieve quality by building quality into the product in the first
References: Deming, W. E. (1993). The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education. Boston, MA: MIT Press. Deming, W. E. (1986) Out of the Crisis. Boston, MA: MIT Center for Advanced Engineering Study. Magnier, M. (1999). The 50: People Who Most Influenced Business This Century. Los Angeles Times, Special Section, U-8. Tortoella, M. J. (1995). The Three Careers of W. Edwards Deming. Siam News. Retrieved from www.deming.org.