Known as the father of the Japanese post-war industrial revival, our "Guru of the Month," Dr. W. Edwards Deming was regarded as the leading quality guru in the United States.

Deming’s fourteen (14) point plan is a complete philosophy of management, that can be applied to organizations in the public, private or service sectors:

• Create constancy of purpose towards improvement of product and service;

• Adopt the new philosophy. We can no longer live with commonly accepted levels of delay, mistakes and defective workmanship;

• Cease dependence on mass inspection. Instead, require statistical evidence that quality is built in;

• End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price;

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

• Institute modern methods of training on the job;

• Institute modern methods of supervision of production workers, The responsibility of foremen must be changed from numbers to quality;

• Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company;

• Break down barriers between departments;

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

• Eliminate work standards that prescribe numerical quotas;

• Remove barriers that stand between the hourly worker and their right to pride of workmanship;

• Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining;

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

Deming believed that the adoption and action of the fourteen points was a sign that management intended to stay in business. Deming was also known for encouraging a systematic approach to problem solving, the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle is also known as the Deming cycle.