Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management Who is Deming? Deming is known as the father of quality management as he is credited with improving quality in the united states and Japan during World War II.

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management Companies quite often struggle with how to go about implementing a Total Quality Management (TQM) system in their organizations. While the quality literature is replete with prescriptions, I believe that exposing you to Deming’s 14 principles, ISO 9000 standards, and the Baldrige Award criteria should provide you with a solid foundation of the basic principles of the TQM philosophy.

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management We will start by examining Deming’s famous 14 principles. These are based on the article “A Tool for Assessing Industry TQM Practice Versus the Deming Philosophy“, by Tamimi, N. and Gershon, M., Production and Inventory Management Journal, 1995, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 27-33.

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management Creating Constancy of Purpose Top management makes long term plans Top management provides for research and development Top management provides for new technology Top management promotes employee training and education

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 2. Adopting the New Philosophy Top management is committed to quality improvement as a way to increase profits Top management is committed to setting objectives for quality improvement Top management is committed to quality enhancement as a primary goal

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 3. Ending the practice of awarding business based on price tag alone Supplier selection is based on both quality and price rather than price alone. Suppliers are involved in the product/service development process Long-term relationships are developed with suppliers There is reliance on a few dependable suppliers

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 4. Ceasing reliance on mass inspection Suppliers use statistical quality control techniques Statistical techniques are used to minimize reliance on mass inspection Top management supports the notion that quality must be built into the product rather than inspected into it.

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 5. Improving constantly the system of production or service Customers’ requirements are analyzed in the process of developing a product or a service Customers’ feedback is used to continually improve the product or service Top management assesses its competitors in order to improve the product or service

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 6. Instituting Training Employees are trained in statistical improvement techniques Employees are trained in quality related matters Employees are trained in specific work-related skills Supervisors are trained in statistical improvement techniques

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 7. Instituting Leadership Supervisors help their employees on the job Supervisors work to build the trust of their employees Supervisors lead in a way that is consistent with the aim of the organization Supervisors are viewed as coaches by their employees

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 8. Driving out fear Employees express new ideas related to improving work methods Employees seek their supervisors assistance when unsure of their tasks Employees are not afraid to report working conditions that interfere with quality Employees feel that they have job security

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 9. Breaking down barriers between departments Different departments have compatible goals In the product/service design process, there is teamwork among departments There is good communications among departments

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 10. Eliminating slogans and targets Top management provides its workers with the methods/procedures to meet goals Top management, not the hourly worker, is responsible for removing obstacles that cause defects/errors Top management does not use vague slogans (for example, “Do It Right the First Time”) in communicating with its employees

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 11. Eliminating Numerical quotas Work Standards are based on quality and quantity rather than quantity alone Numerical quotas are not given higher priority than quality of workmanship

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 12. Removing barriers to pride in workmanship Performance appraisals are not used to rank employees The quality of the working environment is good There is adequate documentation on how to do the job There is no pressure for short term results Top management sets realistic goals for its employees

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 13. Instituting Education and self- improvement There are programs to develop teamwork among employees There are programs/methods to develop effective communications among employees There are programs/methods to develop employees’ conflict resolution skills There are programs to broaden employees’ skills for future organizational needs

Deming’s Philosophy of Total Quality Management 14. Taking action to accomplish the transformation Top management takes action toward executing its quality improvement policies Top management makes it quality improvement policies visible to all employees Top management relies on internal or external consultants to implement its quality improvement policies

Deming’s Seven Deadly Diseases Interestingly, in addition to providing management with his useful 14 principles, Deming also identified what he labeled as the “Seven Deadly Diseases”. Lack of constancy of purpose. Emphasis on short-term profits. Evaluation by performance, merit rating, or annual review of performance.

Deming’s Seven Deadly Diseases Mobility of management. Running a company on visible figures alone. Excessive medical costs. Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers who work for contingency fees.