KC 1.5.1 - Quality Pioneers - Edwards Deming

Dr. W. Edwards Deming

If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing.
W. Edwards Deming

Dr. W. Edwards Deming is known as the father of the Japanese post-war industrial revival and was regarded by many as the leading quality guru in the United States. He passed on in 1993.

Trained as a statistician, his expertise was used during World War II to assist the United States in its effort to improve the quality of war materials.

He was invited to Japan at the end of World War II by Japanese industrial leaders and engineers. They asked Dr. Deming how long it would take to shift the perception of the world from the existing paradigm that Japan produced cheap, shoddy imitations to one of producing innovative quality products.

Dr. Deming told the group that if they would follow his directions, they could achieve the desired outcome in five years. Few of the leaders believed him. But they were ashamed to say so and would be embarrassed if they failed to follow his suggestions.

As Dr. Deming told it, "They surprised me and did it in four years."

He was invited back to Japan time after time where he became a revered counselor. For his efforts he was awarded the Second Order of the Sacred Treasure by the former Emperor Hirohito.

Japanese scientists and engineers named the famed Deming Prize after him. It is bestowed on organizations that apply and achieve stringent quality-performance criteria.

Deming's business philosophy is summarized in his famous "14 Points," listed in my previous post. These points have inspired significant changes among a number of leading US companies striving to compete in the world's increasingly competitive environment.

But the 14 Points pose a challenge for many firms to figure out how to apply them in a meaningful way that will result in continual improvement. Leadership Institute has developed powerful processes for coaching executive teams, and eventually their entire organizations, to begin accomplishing what Deming referred to as "the transformation."

His work is outlined in two books: Out of the Crisis and The New Economics, in which he spells out his System of Profound Knowledge.

Courtesy: www.lii.net

Other Very good resources on Edwards Deming:

1. About Deming & Elaboration on his 14 principles and links to other good sources on Deming
2. Wikipedia on Deming