William Edwards Deming

William Edwards Deming was an American statistician professor. He was also considered an author, consultant, and lecturer. Deming is most famous for his work done in Japan where he taught top management how to improve design, service, testing, quality, and sales through many of his unique methods. Deming made a significant contribution the Japan’s economic status for the innovation of high quality products. He is said to have the highest impact on Japanese manufacturing and business of any non-native Japanese person.

Deming’s work also grew in the United States and he received the National Medal of Technology in 1987 and the Distinguished Career in Science award from the National Academy of Sciences in 1988. It is stated "Dr. W. Edwards Deming taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations can increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs (by reducing waste, rework, staff attrition and litigation while increasing customer loyalty). The key is to practice continual improvement and think of manufacturing as a system, not as bits and pieces. ”

Deming is well known for his Deming system of profound knowledge. Deming said all managers needed to have this system of profound knowledge and it consisted of four parts. First, was appreciation of a system; understanding the overall processes involving suppliers, producers, and customers of good and services. Second, Knowledge of variation; the range and causes of variation in quality, and se of statistical sampling in measurements. Next, the theory of knowledge; the concepts explaining knowledge and the limits of what can be known. And last, knowledge of psychology; concepts of human nature. One need not be eminent in any part nor in all four parts in order to understand it and to apply it. ” "Once the individual understands the system of profound knowledge, he will apply its principles in every kind of relationship with other people. He will have a basis for judgment of his own decisions and for transformation of the organizations that he belongs to,” says Deming. It is said the first thing that has to happen in this system is the person must be transformed. Once the person is transformed, he will see new meaning in his life. The individual will set a good example, be a good listener and teach others.

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Deming is also famous for his work in creating the 14 points for management. The System of Profound Knowledge is the basis for application of Deming's famous 14 Points for Management. These principles allowed managers to achieve a better understanding of how to transform business effectiveness. The 14 points were released for the first time in his book, Out of the Crisis. These 14 points are,

• “Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive, stay in business and to provide jobs.
• Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
• Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for massive inspection by building quality into the product in the first place.
• End the practice of awarding business on the basis of a price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move towards a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
• Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.
• Institute training on the job.
• Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8 of "Out of the Crisis"). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
• Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company. (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis")
• Break down barriers between departments.
• People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, in order to foresee problems of production and usage that may be encountered with the product or service.
• Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.
• Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute with leadership. Eliminate management by objective.
• Eliminate management by numbers and numerical goals. Instead substitute with leadership.
• Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objectives
• Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
• Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation.

The transformation is everybody's job. ” I fully agree with Deming’s teachings. I believe the system of profound knowledge is very effective system in engaging all aspects of an organization. It takes into account suppliers, producers and consumers and how they are all interrelated and increases flexibility. I believe Deming’s key principles involve every aspect of the organization to improve output and workmanship as well as working conditions, this includes minimizing total cost for employees, improves management for employees, creates a better working environment, and improves output.

As a manager, I would use the 14 key principle points in bettering the working environment for employees. It would allow me to better take on leadership and change in the organization, help to minimize total cost and move into long term relationships with other organizations, influence more training on the job to improve productivity, supervise to help people do a better job, and work as a team with other departments to increase company productivity. I have learned that transformation is everybody’s job and it would give me a whole different outlook as a manager.

References

1. Deming, W. Edwards. “Those Lean Years at Wyoming U. ” (2011). Retrieved November 24, 2012, from http://deming. org/index. cfm? content=63
2. McInnis, D. (2011). W. Edwards Deming of Powell, wyo. : The man who helped shape the world. Retrieved November 24/2012 from http://www. wyohistory. org/encyclopedia/w-edwards-deming Madison, J. (n. d. ).
3. Ed Deming A Pioneer and Prophet of Total Quality Management. Retrieved November 25, 2012, from http://www. stfrancis. edu/content/ba/stuwebs/biograph/deming2. htm.

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