Dr. William Edward Deming: Who is he?
"94% of the problems are due to the system, 6% are due to the worker" - W. Edwards Deming
The Deming Wheel
The PDCA Cycle (Deming Cycle), this concept was originated by a man called Walter Shewart and he later introduced it to Deming. During the 1950's Deming widely promoted this concept and it later become known as the Deming Wheel instead of the PDCA Cycle. The cycle consists of four steps that must be taken when problem solving.
Plan - the objective (who, what, where, when).
Do - the objective, carrying out the plan and document problems that occur.
Check - analyses if the changes made are working and complete a data analysis to compare with the predictions.
Act - Learn from mistakes to achieve a great outcome.
Here is an image of what the Deming Cycle looks like. This cycle when followed allows for repetition of continuous improvement.
Life and Career
Deming was born in Iowa on October 14, 1900 and passed December 20, 1993. In 1922 Deming married a woman named Agnes Bell and they later adopted their daughter Dorothy. William Edward Deming was an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant. He was acknowledged for his lead management thinking and problem-solving skills.
Deming graduated from the University of Wyoming with an engineering degree in 1921 and he also studied at Yale University where he was awarded with a doctorate in mathematical physics in 1928. Deming’s expertise as a statistician was instrumental in his posting to Japan after the second world war as an advisor to the Japanese Census and in the late 1970s the USA became aware of his achievements in Japan. In 1986 Deming published out of the crisis which documented the thinking and practice that had led to the transformation of Japanese manufacturing industry. In 1993 Deming founded the W. Edwards Deming Institute before his passing.
The W. Edwards Deming Institute
The institutes aim is enriching society through the Deming philosophy.
Deming wanted to make a difference in the world but knowing his time was coming to an end, he felt desperate to do so before his passing. The institute was formed in 1993 and operated as a volunteer institute until 2011. After Deming's passing in 1993, a board of trustees who had previously worked alongside Deming guided the institute in his absence. The institute provided organisations and individuals with guidance, educational opportunities and research which preserved the teachings of Deming.
In 2008, the institute was an ongoing and successful however it was in need of a transformation to make the impact even greater. The institute was taken over by Deming's grandson, Kevin Edwards Cahill and a board trustee that were dedicated to allowing Deming's legacy to continue and evolve.
The institute are honouring Deming’s legacy by introducing his teachings to the younger generations to develop and transfer his knowledge. Through programs, learning events and digital resources.
The Institutes Values
- We believe in the power of Dr. Deming’s vision of a better world and strive, with joy, to carry on his work.
- We are dedicated to the Deming philosophy and the belief that working together, with humility, we can make a difference in the quality of life for everyone.
- We have high moral and ethical standards, professional and personal integrity, and commitment to lifelong learning.
- We believe in working together with a spirit of cooperation, collaboration, respect, and support.
- We are a diverse and inclusive community.
"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing" - W. Edwards Deming
References
W Edwards Deming: Total Quality Management thinker - The British Library (bl.uk)
Biography of William Edwards Deming - Assignment Point
https://deming.org/about-us/aim-vision/