Dr. Deming's 14 Points

Dr. W. Edwards Deming was the management consultant widely credited with Japan's economic growth after World War II.   He and his disciples were also a strong influence in the turn-around of U.S. automakers in the early 1980s.  The Deming process is built around his "Fourteen Points" which are listed here.  I warn you now that this is like reading the Bible, every time you ponder Deming's Points, you find a new and deeper meaning. 

  1. Create constancy of purpose through improvement of product and service, with the goal being to stay in business.
  2. Upper management must learn the new philosophy, use it, and not delegate the responsibility to someone else.
  3. Build quality into the products and services to make after-the-fact inspection unnecessary.
  4. Use fewer vendors - preferably one.  Base selections on quality and service, as well as price.  Eliminate low-cost bidder purchasing policies.
  5. Expect measurable improvements in quality and productivity, but not through numerical goals.
  6. Do not let on-the-job training be the major source for leaning by the new-hires.
  7. Supervise by creating a productive environment, not by using manipulative gimmicks.
  8. Outlaw the use of fear.
  9. Take all the steps necessary to remove the barriers among departments.
  10. Do not hang up banners asking people to work harder.
  11. Do not use piece rates or production quotas and do not use management by the numbers.
  12. Remove all barriers to pride of workmanship and do not use performance evaluations that rank people.
  13. Institute a rigorous program of education and self-improvement.
  14. Find a way to get all employees involved.

Implementation of the Deming process is not simple nor is it a short-term project.  To get a better understanding I recommend a very short book by Gary Fellers, Why Things Go Wrong (ISBN 1-56554-070-0), available at www.amazon.com.

 

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