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Deming, W. Edwards

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Definition

W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993) is credited with the quality revolution in Japan after World War II and in the United States in the 1980's and 1990's. He was the author of over 200 books and articles, the best known of which is Out of the Crisis, published in 1986.

He is perhaps most well known for his "14 points", the fourteen obligations of top management:

1) Create constancy of purpose for improvement of products 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 plannning, 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 profiding 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.

Notes

Reference: Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Primer (2001). Terre Haute, IN: Quality Council of Indiana.

External Links

The W. Edwards Deming Institute - http://www.deming.org/theman/articles/articles_threecareers01.html Skymark.com - Deming bio - http://www.skymark.com/resources/leaders/deming.asp American Society for Quality (ASQ) - Deming Bio - http://www.asq.org/about-asq/who-we-are/bio_deming.html The History of Total Quality - ASQ - http://www.asq.org/learn-about-quality/history-of-quality/overview/total-quality.html