Total Quality Management Guru’s

One of the foremost and well known philosophers of Total Quality Management is W. E. Deming. Deming attended Yale University and received his PhD in Physics in 1928 and was a well trained statistician. In 1950 he was invited to Japan by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE), where he preformed several lectures for executive, managers and researchers. This was a difficult time for Japan, the war had just ended and the county was struggling to keep its’ people employed. Through Deming’s training, flailing Japanese industry was able to compete on a global level and became one of the countries best known for quality products. Deming is credited with establishing the axiom, “work smarter, not harder.” His teachings promoted continued quality control, and as testament to his teaching the JUSE established the Deming Prize to promote the continued development of quality control in Japan. In 1953 Deming began working with American Industry by using his Total Quality Management principles. The main points of his philosophy were simple yet not quite understood. He believe that management must recognize and define continuous improvements and work with subordinates to improve the system; to improve quality it must be measure; and one must tell others about the lessons learned and the benefits to mankind. (Schultz, n.d.)

Demining was responsible for creating or at least popularizing several quality control principles; one of his first and still best know is the Deming Cycle also called the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle. Using this principle the cycle can show how a product can related to a customers need. The steps can be repeated over and over to continuously improve the product. First, Plan a change to the process, predict the effect this change will have and plan how the effects will be measured Second, Do, implement the change on small things and measure its effects. Third, check, study the effects and learn what effects it had if any. Lastly, Act, adopt the change as a permanent modification to the process, or abandon it.

Deming’s emphasized the importance of improving quality through what he called the Five step chain reaction which proposes that once quality improves, (1) cost decreases because of less rework, fewer mistakes, fewer delays, snags, better use of machine time and materials (2) Productivity Improves (3) you must capture the market with better quality and lower price (4)Stay in business (5) provide jobs and more jobs.

To summarize Deming’s philosophy on quality improvement he developed a 14 point plan.

1. Create constancy of purpose towards improvement of product and services.

2. Adopt the new philosophy. We can no longer live with commonly accepted levels of delays, mistakes, defective workmanship.

3. Cease dependence on mass inspection. Require, instead, statistical evidence that quality is built in.

4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag.

5. Find problems. It is management’s job to work continually on the system.

6. Institute modern methods of training on the job.

7. Institute modern methods of supervision of production workers. The responsibility of foremen must be changed from numbers to quality.

8. Drive out fear that everyone may work effectively for the company.

9. Break down barriers between departments.

10. Eliminate numerical goals, posters and slogans for the workforce asking for new levels of productivity without providing methods.

11. Eliminate work standards that prescribe numerical quotas.

12. Remove barriers that stand between the hourly worker and his right to pride of workmanship

13. Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining.

14. Create a structure in top management that will push everyday on the above 13 points

Although noted for his accomplishments in Japan, Deming’s principles did not take hold in America until the 1980’s. America industry seemed to abandon the desire to make quality products. Focus was on selling a lot of product, not selling a lot of quality products. A 1980 NBC documentary asked the question, “If Japan can why can’t we”. This show included an interview with some of the Japanese clients Deming’s had worked with where they described the cost savings and high profit margin they had mostly due to Deming’s principles. The show created an interest in Deming’s and his Total Quality Management Principles.