The Manager's Toolkit -- Applying Deming's 14 Points (A work in progress)



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The following is a practical application of Edwards Deming's 14 points using a pragmatic set of guidelines. As we all know, "there is no one right way"; hopefully, this is 'one' way that may work for your organization.

Once Again, Deming’s Fourteen Points

By W. Edwards Deming, Ph.D.


  1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service with a plan to become competitive -- to stay in business and to provide jobs.
  2. Adopt a new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. We can no longer live with commonly accepted levels of delays, mistakes, defective materials and defective workmanship.
  3. Cease dependence on mass inspection. Require instead, statistical evidence that quality is built in to eliminate need for inspection on a mass basis.
  4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag alone. Instead, depend on meaningful measures of quality along with price.
  5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service. It is management’s job to work continually on the system.
  6. Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining.
  7. Adopt and institute leadership. The responsibility of supervision must be changed from sheer numbers to quality. Improvement of quality will automatically improve productivity.
  8. Drive out fear so that everyone may work effectively for the company.
  9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales and production must work as a team to foresee problems of production that may be encountered with various materials and specifications.
  10. Eliminate numerical goals, posters and slogans for the workforce that ask for new levels of productivity without providing new 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. Encourage education and self-improvement for everyone.
  14. Create a structure in top management that will push every day on the above thirteen points.


And Now, A Practical Application

by Lark Ritchie

  1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service with a plan to become competitive -- to stay in business and to provide jobs.

    Set a Mission Statement, publicize it; refer to it; question activity against it.

  2. Adopt a new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. We can no longer live with commonly accepted levels of delays, mistakes, defective materials and defective workmanship.

    Use brainstorming sessions to identify areas for work. Break the paridigm!

  3. Cease dependence on mass inspection. Require instead, statistical evidence that quality is built in to eliminate need for inspection on a mass basis.

    TEXT HERE TEXT HERE

  4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag alone. Instead, depend on meaningful measures of quality along with price.

    Identify your and supplier processes and set performance measures or quality indicators.

  5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service. It is management’s job to work continually on the system.

    Have a systemn in place that brings performance results to regular review.

  6. Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining.

    Institute two-way accountability for development; make a system that won't forget. Use it.

  7. Adopt and institute leadership. The responsibility of supervision must be changed from sheer numbers to quality. Improvement of quality will automatically improve productivity.

    Create accountabilities that specify for quality.

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

    Use two way accountability. Promote it; reinforce it.

  9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales and production must work as a team to foresee problems of production that may be encountered with various materials and specifications.

    Get into Process; Name and Chart your processes; change to organization to support the processes.

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

    Focus on performance in terms of quality indicators.

  11. Eliminate work standards that prescribe numerical quotas.

    Institue a system that allows specification and communication of quality indicators.

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

    Listen to the workers; Do walkabouts;put ideas like this in every supervisor's performance contract.

  13. Encourage education and self-improvement for everyone.

    Embrace two way responsibility for personal development.

  14. Create a structure in top management that will push every day on the above thirteen points.

    Create a worker supported system that provides you status on all of the above.




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