I know someone here knows this.

I read here a reference to an American Businessman that the Japanese Automakers based their business model and philosophy on.

All I can remember is the initials E D.

I want to do some more research about this man and his methods.

Who is it?

And it's Okay to get me started by telling me what his philosophy was and what the Japanese did to implement it, etc.

 

Found it.

Edwards Deming.

But feel free to tell me all about him if you wish.

 

And what I've found.

The 14 steps. You have to do them ALL.

# Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs.
# Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
# Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.
# End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
# Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.
# Institute training on the job.
# Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
# Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company (see Ch. 3).
# Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.
# Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.

* Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
* Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.


# Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.
# Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (see Ch. 3).
# Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
# Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.

http://www.deming.org/theman/teachings02.html

More website info:

http://www.lii.net/deming.html

http://deming.eng.clemson.edu/pub/den/

W. Edwards Deming

Here is a great quote:

"Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them."

Doesn't that describe Prius owners?

I'm researching this as I'm anticipating being offered a job at an underperforming school that is going to go through restructuring. Unfortunately, I don't think we can embrace all of Dr. Demings 14 points because of the legal requirements of the State, No Child Left Behind, standardized testing and report cards. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Deming was used as a model to restructure public education?