Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best

- Michael Johnson

Deming's Fourteen (14) Points

Deming’s Fourteen (14) Points would take more space than this whole series of articles for a full discussion and interpretation. The Fourteen (14) points contain issues that would contradict the content of other quality systems causing some controversy. For example, Point Ten (10) 'Eliminate Slogans', contradicts the main “Kick off” philosophies of many of the successful quality programs followed today. Deming’s Points  should be regarded as very important but not as tools unto themselves. Quality seekers may to look to other quality systems for useful tools.

1. Create constancy of purpose to improve product and service.

2. Adopt new philosophy for new economic age by management learning responsibilities and taking leadership for change.

3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality; eliminate the need for mass inspection by building quality into the product. 

4. End awarding business on price; instead minimize total cost and move towards single suppliers for items.

5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service to improve quality and productivity and to decrease costs. 

6. Institute training on the job.

7. Institute leadership; supervision should be to help do a better job; overhaul supervision of management and production workers.

8.  Drive out fear so that all may work effectively for the organization.

9. Break down barriers between departments; research, design, sales and production must work together to foresee problems in production and use.

10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and numerical targets for the workforce. For example: "zero defects" or new productivity levels. Such exhortations are unrealistic as the bulk of the problems belong to the system and are beyond the power of the workforce.

11. Eliminate quotas or work standards and management by objectives or numerical goals; substitute leadership.

12. Remove barriers that rob people of their right to pride of workmanship; hourly workers, management and engineering; eliminate annual or merit ratings and management by objective.

13. Institute a vigorous education and self-improvement program.

14. Put everyone in the company to work to accomplish the transformation.

 Seven (7) Points

 Deming provides a seven point action plan for change. He starts from management struggling over each of the fourteen (14) Points, the Deadly Diseases and obstacles afflicting most companies of the West. Some of Dr Deming's Deadly Diseases are directly associated to American industrial companies. The following are more generally discussed:

 A lack of constancy of purpose

 Emphasis on short-term profits etc

 Evaluation of performance, merit-rating, or annual review

 Mobility of management

 Management by use only of visible figures, with little or no consideration of unknown or unknowable figures.

 He identifies the obstacles that he sees in addition to these diseases as a range of attitudes that can get in the   way of the necessary transformation.

The Solution

1. Management struggles over the fourteen (14) Points, Deadly Diseases and obstacles and agrees meaning and plans direction.

2. Management takes pride and develops courage for the new direction.

3. Management explains to the people in the company why change is necessary.

4. Divide every company activity into stages, identifying the customer of each stage as the next stage. Continual improvement of methods should take place at each stage, and stages should work together towards quality.

5. Start as soon and as quickly as possible to construct an organization to guide continual quality improvement. Deming advocates the Deming or Shewhart Cycle as a helpful procedure for improvement of any stage.

6. Everyone can take part in a team to improve the input and output of any stage.

7. Embark on construction of organization for quality.

 (Next submission: Deming: Final and Let’s talk Juran)

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