Deming role in Quality Management Systems

About Dr. Edward Deming

Many of the modernized quality and lean management systems are founded on the research conducted by Dr. Edward Deming. After World War II, Dr. Deming was sent to Japan as a professional statistician to help conduct a census and eventually taught statistical quality control to Japanese business leaders (Kaizen Institute, 2014). Many Japanese manufacturing companies utilized the teachings of Dr. Deming with significant improvements and better results. Much of his research was conducted in Japan, which is why many of the quality terms today use Japanese words to define the concepts and philosophies. For example, muda and Kaizen are both Japanese words. Deming’s research concluded that consumers’ fitness of use should be the focal point for making quality improvements (Russell & Taylor, 2017). In other words, Deming felt that it was important to make the customer’s needs an important consideration for quality improvements. Framing the needs of customers calls into question if any proposed changes will benefit the customer by improving quality, adding value, or making a product offering more desirable. These quality management practices improved quality by first introducing advanced statistical quality measurements in manufacturing businesses.

Deming 14-Points of Quality Management

Dr. Deming was the creator of the fourteen points of quality management, which has since become the foundation for all modern quality management systems (American Society for Quality, 2019a). These fourteen points addressed specific aspects of production that could be improved upon to increase quality, reduce variation, and eliminate waste. Dr. Deming realized that if companies could focus on improving quality they would become more profitable and potentially attract more customers. People generally do not want to buy a low-quality product that does not fit their needs because it would just be a waste of money. A few of his fourteen points from the American Society for Quality (2019c) include creating consistency of purpose, adopting a new philosophy, improving constantly, instituting job training and leadership, driving out fear, and breaking down department barriers. All of Dr. Deming’s points are designed to inspire positive change in an organization. Although the fourteen points do not specifically give instructions on how to implement changes, it does reveal important points of what needs to be changed to improve quality.

Growth of Dr. Deming’s Quality Management Practices

Deming’s quality management practices became so successful in Japanese manufacturing companies that it grew into a worldwide movement, which lead many other businesses to focus on improving quality through the statistical refinement of processes (American Society for Quality, 2019a). Quality management and lean systems have since become even more popular due to the precision of mathematical equations and the ability to accurately forecast results. Today some of the largest corporations in the world, small business, and individuals utilize principals first established by Dr. Deming’s research. The very foundations of Six Sigma and Kaizen were both founded on Deming’s wheel of PDCA. There were also several other quality management and lean systems that are all rooted in Dr. Deming’s teachings.

Modern Applications of Quality Management Systems

While the applications and case studies mostly focus on improving business processes, the principals of Dr. Deming’s research and subsequent methodologies can also be implemented by individuals as well. Just like for businesses, the Six Sigma DMAIC process can be used in personal life too. The first step involves defining the problem clearly by figuring out what needs to be fixed and who is involved. For example, a couple may have identified a problem with doing the laundry efficiently. The problem may be that the laundry is not washed consistently and both a husband and wife are involved in the process. The next step involves measuring the current performance. It may be found that the laundry is being done every ten days but really needs to be done every 5 days to prevent the laundry from overflowing. The following step involves analyzing the problem. Further analysis of the situation may be that the laundry is not being done sooner due to the morning rush before work and someone forgetting to press the on button on the laundry or dryer. Additionally, it may be found that because of the alternating work schedules the laundry is not being done more frequently due to a lack of communicating who should turn on the laundry machine or if the laundry needs to be done at all. The following step requires improving the process. A solution to fix the problem could be to have a small white board near the washing machine that shows who needs to turn on the laundry machine with a date and time. Additionally, creating a rule to text message each other if one person is not sure if the laundry needs to be turned on or not could help eliminate the issues in communication. The final step in the process in Six Sigma’s DMAIC process involves control. In this case control involves maintaining the system so that it continues to work. This could be done by creating a monthly schedule for the laundry at the beginning of every month. Kaizen could then be utilized to help refine the process and eliminate waste. For example, the white board could be eliminated by sharing a digital Google Calendar on their phones. Additionally, the couple could communicate and agree that each person will seek to identify incremental changes to improve the process. For instance, one person might realize that by waiting later in the day to turn on the laundry machine could help save money on electricity to offset running the laundry machine during peak hours. While the other person realizes that running the laundry machine overnight will help reduce heat and thus reduce air conditioning costs during the day. By implementing both quality and lean management systems the couple could more effectively do laundry, save money, and become more efficient at doing laundry. Thanks to Dr. Deming’s initial research on quality management the couple has a framework to make quality improvements in tasks such as laundry, as well as, other various everyday life tasks as well.