| Dr. William Edwards Deming was an American | | | | allow everyone to work effectively for the company. |
| statistician, professor, author, and business consultant. | | | | Expanding on this principle, he goes on to state how |
| He is best known for his work in Japan where he | | | | managers and supervisors’ goal should be to help |
| taught top managers how to improve their businesses | | | | “people, machines, and gadgets to do a better |
| through improved design, product quality, testing and | | | | job”. Breaking down the barrier between |
| sales, and statistical methods. He is said to have had | | | | departments would allow for a smoother running |
| more impact on the Japanese business than anyone | | | | business. This would allow members of research, |
| not of Japanese descent. Japanese-quality products | | | | sales, design, and production to work as a team; |
| can be traced back to Deming’s methods. Deming | | | | allowing problems to be foreseeable and fixable. |
| died shortly after winning American support of his | | | | Deming’s twelfth principle is best stated by him: |
| methods. | | | | “ Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of |
| Dr. Deming’s work in Japan started when he was | | | | this right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of |
| invited overseas to work on the national census for | | | | supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to |
| Japan. His expertise in his work, along with his quality | | | | quality. Remove barriers that rob people in |
| control techniques led him to work for a number of | | | | management and in engineering of their right to pride |
| Japanese manufacturers. Deming had one key | | | | of workmanship. This means abolishment of the annual |
| message to all Japanese’s chief executives: “ | | | | or merit rating and of management by objective.” |
| improving quality will reduce expenses while increasing | | | | These principles, along with others, were adopted by |
| productivity and market share.” Many Japanese | | | | the Japanese manufacturing companies. Soon |
| manufactures applied Deming’s techniques and | | | | there-after, Japanese products were known |
| immediately witnessed unheard of levels of quality and | | | | worldwide for their quality and low cost. |
| productivity. The new and improved quality, along with | | | | American manufacturing does not rival Japanese |
| the lower cost of Japanese goods, sparked the | | | | quality and price. Dr. Deming presented his theories to |
| international demand for Japanese products. | | | | the U.S. but were ignored and not adopted by the U.S. |
| Deming suggested 14 principles for management for | | | | manufacturing companies. This led to Deming’s |
| transforming business adequacy. Some of these | | | | presence in Japan. While Japan was improving quality |
| suggestions included the termination of practicing | | | | and lowering costs, U.S. manufacturers continued to |
| business on the basis of a price tag. Instead Deming | | | | use short term goal approaches and stressed quantity |
| suggested to concentrate on minimizing cost. He | | | | over quality. Deming made a comment about |
| offered that moving towards one single supplier for | | | | American, and alike, manufacturers saying |
| any item would greatly reduce an expense. Also, he | | | | “Long-term commitment to new learning and new |
| stated that improved consistency and | | | | philosophy is required of any management that seeks |
| on-the-job-training would both assist in lowering costs. | | | | transformations. The timid and the fainthearted, and the |
| One of Deming’s most important principles focused | | | | people that expect quick results, are doomed to |
| on driving out fear in the workplace. Doing so would | | | | disappointment. |