Demings 14 Points for Management

One of the Father’s of Quality that I study is Dr. Deming.  Dr. Deming was a very intelligent, soft-spoken and influential gentleman in his day.  Dr. W. Edwards Deming was and still is today a champion of the working man. He’s one of the “Fathers” of Quality.  Deming’s contributions include “Plan-Do-Study-Act”, top management involvement, concentration on system improvement, constancy of purpose.  Deming’s teaching statistical methods and understanding of the psychology of management and labor attracted the interest to learn from many American engineers, scientist, foremen, managers, workers and Japanese firms.  Deming was part of the industrial revolution and a leader in Quality by conducting classes and consulting in statistical methods to thousands of American and Japanese firms. Deming’s message specifically to American firms are included in his well known 14 Points for Management and 7 Deadly Diseases.  Dr. Deming understood if management took hold of his 14 points and cured the 7 deadly disease then their employees satisfaction and pride in work would improve which leads to improved quality of work – increase in production – decrease in cost of poor quality – increase in profits and expansion of markets and satisfied stakeholders.

14 Points to Management

1. Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service
2. Adopt a new philosophy; we are in a new economic age
3. Cease dependence upon inspection as a way to achieve quality
4. End the practice of awarding business based on price tag
5. Constantly improve the process of planning, production, and service – this system includes people
6. Institute training on the job
7. Institute improved supervision (leadership)
8. Drive out fear
9. Break down barriers between departments
10. Eliminate slogans/targets asking for increased productivity without providing methods
11. Eliminate numerical quotas
12. Remove barriers that stand between workers and their pride of workmanship; the same for all salaried people
13. Institute programs for education and retraining
14. Put all emphasis in the company to work to accomplish the transformation

7 Deadly Diseases for Management to Cure

1. Lack of constancy of purpose to plan a marketable product and service to keep the company in business and provide jobs
2. Emphasis on short-term profits
3. Personal evaluation appraisal, by whatever name, for people in management, the effects of which are devastating
4. Mobility of management; job hopping
5. Use of visible figures for management, with little or no consideration of figures that are unknown or unknowable
6. Excessive medical costs
7. Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers that work on contingency fee

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Reference: CMQ Primer 2005