Deming’s 14 Principles

Edward W. Deming was an American Statistician, Professor and Quality Consultant. He is known for his principles and books in the field of Quality Management. He proposed various concepts like PDCA, sampling techniques and was also well known for his contribution to Japan’s Quality journey. Let us look at what the Deming’s principles say.

  1. Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services. This is necessary to be competitive and gain market stability.
  2. Adopt the new philosophy. In this new technology era, businesses must adopt themselves to ever changing technology and customer requirements; otherwise we will remain obsolete in the market.
  3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Quality should be proactive and not reactive. This saves a lot of money, effort and time.
  4. End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working with a single supplier. Supplier management should be based on the Quality and adherence to schedule. Long term relationships and partnerships emerge from satisfying mutual expectations in terms of Quality and adherence to schedule, not on cost.
  5. Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service. Continuous improvement is the key to success in today’s rapidly changing business.
  6. Institute training on the job. No success can be achieved by ignoring training.
  7. Adopt and institute leadership. Leadership is far more than just supervision and providing targets. Guiding and mentoring employees is a key part of Leadership.
  8. Drive out fear. This will bring in more efficiency and creativity into the organization.
  9. Break down barriers between staff areas. Barriers within departments will lead to failure and will not help towards a single common objective.
  10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce. Instead motivate and lead employees to work towards the long term goal and Vision of the organization.
  11. Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management. Instead motivate and lead employees to work towards the long term goal and Vision of the organization.
  12. Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.
  13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.
  14. Put everybody in the company to work accomplishing the transformation. Everyone should own the transformation objective.