Running Head: Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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Deming’s 14 Points Compared to Crosby’s 14 Step Approach to Quality Improvement
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Final Research Project Fall 2013 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree Master of Science in Engineering and Technology Management
Morehead State University / IET 619 – Total Quality Control
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Presented to
Ahmad Zargari PhD.
November 26th, 2013
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Written by;
Christopher Smith
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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ABSTRACT
In this final research project I will discuss and compare W. Edwards Deming’s 14 point core
concepts of Total Quality Management with Phil Crosby’s 14 steps for Quality Improvement. I
will attempt to see how they intersect in core values and demonstrate the effectiveness of their
approach. I will also discuss my opinions of both philosophies and their effectiveness.
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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INTRODUCTION
In the 20th century two pioneers emerged in the quality profession and both had a long
lasting effect on how companies developed their quality strategy deployment. W. Edward
Deming was probably the more notable of the 2 for his rise in fame helping the Japanese post
World War 2 develop their quality systems. Then Phil Crosby’s rise in the corporate world
developing his own set of philosophies to unite organizations and train them to have a different
perspective on quality management. These two would develop their own sets of a 14 rule creed
that would enhance and shape businesses that still have a profound effect today. Let’s take a
look at these two sets of rules on see how they can impact and change company culture. Also the
difficulties in implementing these strategies are not always black and white.
Deming’s 14 Points
As mentioned in the introduction W. Edward Deming made a name for himself in postWorld War Japan helping rebuild their quality systems. As one of the fathers of quality he
developed the 14 principles of management. These principles help guide companies in Japan to
astounding success and helped turn around their manufacturing sector. The principles were the
foundation for Total Quality Management. The 14 points are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services.
Adopt the new philosophy.
Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality.
End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working
with a single supplier.
Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service.
Institute training on the job.
Adopt and institute leadership.
Drive out fear.
Break down barriers between staff areas.
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce.
11. Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management.
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.
(Taken from: https://asq.org/learn-about-quality/total-quality-management/overview/demingpoints.html)
These guidelines were very different and placed a major emphasis on management and
supervision. His emphasis placed responsibility on management to set the tone for a quality
culture not just lip service. Constant improvement, stop awarding business to the lowest
bidders, interdepartmental cooperation, driving out fear in the workforce were some major
examples of his principles that were radically different. His PDCA is also a basic foundation
of his teachings that is still the foundation of many quality systems around the globe today.
His ideas were very simple but difficult to comprehend with management of the time and
even today.
After he returned to the Unites States Ford Motor Company recruited his services due to
lost market share from Japan and their superior quality. Little did they understand he placed
85% of the blame squarely on management’s shoulders. He stated that they have to change
their corporate culture and revise their quality management strategy or they would continue to
hemorrhage money and market share. This helped spawn the Ford Taurus which was a
resounding success and is one of the highest selling automobiles of all time.
Phil Crosby’s 14 Steps
Phillip Crosby was also another well recognized in the US for his quality principles and
was a pioneer in the quality movement in the United States. He was in the military and studied
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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medicine. We went to work for several companies and helped establish his Four Absolutes of
Quality Management:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Quality means conformance to requirements, not goodness.
Quality is achieved by prevention, not appraisal.
Quality has a performance standard of Zero Defects, not acceptable quality levels.
Quality is measured by the Price of Nonconformance™, not indexes.
Taken from: (http://www.philipcrosby.com/25years/crosby.html)
However he came up with his Fourteen Steps that he created to solicit his teachings that were
different than Deming’s in some ways and also similar in their approach. His 14 steps were as
follows:
1. Make it clear that management is committed to quality.
2. Set up quality improvement teams with representatives of the team drawn from each department.
3. Identify where current and potential nonconformance problems come from.
4. Evaluate the cost of quality and explain its use as a management tool.
5. Raise the quality awareness and personal concern of all employees.
6. Take actions to correct problems identified through previous steps.
7. Establish a committee for the zero defects program.
8. Train supervisors to actively carry out their part of the quality improvement program.
9. Hold a ‘zero defects day’ to let all employees realize that there has been a change.
10. Encourage individuals to establish improvement goals for themselves and their groups.
11. Encourage employees to communicate to management the obstacles they face in attaining their
improvement goals.
12. Recognize and appreciate those who participate.
13. Establish quality councils to communicate on a regular basis.
14. Do it all over again to emphasize that the quality improvement program never ends.
Taken from: (http://visionhancer.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/phil-crosby-14-step-approach-forquality-improvement-tqm/)
His 14 step approach was also more direct but focused a great deal on a zero defect
philosophy. His basic approach also included top management responsibilities but yet also
focused on team building. Error proofing and defect prevention was a major emphasis to help
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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achieve the zero defect philosophy. Also he stated that each company should have a
companywide zero defect day to promote this mindset. Training was also a major emphasis as
well as goal setting to monitor continuous improvement.
The Way they Compare and Differ
As aforementioned both of these 14 approaches had similarities. They both strongly
stated that Management Commitment was paramount in any company wide quality management
system. They both understood that if top management is not involved then any quality system is
set up for failure. So that being said Leadership was a very key component overall just to get
started.
They were also very strong in their belief of training and continuous education company
wide. They both believed that with a strong foundation of training quality would inherently
improve the products being produced. A production work force that is properly trained can
galvanize the workforce and help deliver a quality product. Not only training at the shop level
but also supervisory and management education was also equally as important.
Another key component was that they both believed in was continuous improvement.
Utilize the workforce to create ideas to find ways to improve quality and productivity. They
both understood that continuous improvement was necessary in the survival of companies with
increased competition globally. Also analyzing problems and conducting proper problem
solving analysis and corrective action to ensure no reoccurrence was also important.
Lastly they had a very high stake in defect prevention. Crosby knew that prevention meant
prevention started at the top down and that design should be a focus. Deming also knew this and
stated that quality should be built into the product. They both knew and understood that
attributes could not be inspected into the product.
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Although each had many similarities they also had different approaches in their 14 steps.
Deming didn’t believe in the philosophy of expecting zero defects. In Deming’s tenth principle
he states that companies shouldn’t use slogans, posters demanding zero defects. Yet in Crosby’s
9th step he states that each company should conduct a zero defect day to communicate this belief
to the workforce.
Deming likewise didn’t believe in numerical targets while Crosby thought goal setting and
measuring continuous improvement was necessary. Deming believed that leadership and stable
processes would lead to continuous improvement and arbitrary metrics were not necessary.
Although they both had 14 approaches Deming’s was much more detailed. His also
included the purchasing component which stated not to use the cheapest suppliers to make
business decisions on procurement. He understood this was a dangerous practice and that poor
quality from suppliers could affect productivity or worse pass through to the end user.
Deming also understood that departments often had barriers and he knew that they should
work together. Fear often was a major culprit with cooperation between departments and he
knew that this component should be driven out of the workplace. This mean positive
collaboration would lead to better communication between departments and help better serve the
companies quality objectives and help the consumer.
One last thing Deming understood that the world was in the dawn of a global economy and
that if companies didn’t adapt they wouldn’t stay in business. If you read his first 2 principles it
is clear he knew that if change in corporate culture was not accepted they simply wouldn’t
survive. Mistakes had to be reduced and the old Western style of management had to become a
thing of the past. His vision when he created this far exceeded anyone in the industry and why I
believe he truly is the father of Total Quality Management.
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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Are these Philosophies Used and are they Effective?
When researching this topic it appears that the Deming Philosophy is much harder for
companies to comprehend and maintain the focus and commitment required for upper
management. After his death in 1993 his philosophy has faded and had been replaced by
different management systems such as Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. Merit based
systems are gaining more and more popularity with all companies to ensure the best workers get
the best compensation.
It has been very difficult since his passing for executives to grasp his overall teachings.
With no merit system or setting objectives and targets it goes against many of the teachings at
university business schools. There is no clear cut guidelines except improve the processes and
provide leadership based on wisdom. Many managers today use a specific schematic taught in
business schools around the world in order to achieve success.
He truly believed that if progress was being made on quality that productivity and quality
would continue to improve. However it is difficult to comprehend what “improvement” means if
it’s not being measured? He also based his improvement more on statistical analysis of problems
and a more scientific based approach to problem solving. Almost to an organic level where
companies are simply a working system or engine.
With Crosby’s ideas they are more traditional to today’s business strategies for quality
improvement. With management commitment, quality teams, and measurements of process
improvement it is a more systematic way for each company to execute quality objectives and be
able to measure success. With focus on continuous improvements and zero defect prevention
initiatives it is a clear cut favorite based on my experience that companies can succeed using his
roadmap.
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The cost of quality is also an important strategy with Crosby’s teachings. A company
must measure and evaluate its cost of poor quality caused by nonconformances. He also states
that quality is either “present or not present”. Quality is also defined by the customer regardless
of specifications. Based on those customer requirements is zero defects philosophy being
utilized to reduce or eliminate these defects?
Conclusion
When looking at both men it’s clear they were pioneers in their innovative ability to
reshape how we view quality management. Although there were clear differences both were
visionaries and successful. Deming was more systematic in his approach and didn’t believe in
metrics or award appraisals. Crosby did believe in metrics and recognizing employees for their
efforts even though it was a management owned system.
Although I think that Deming was ahead of his time and truly had some very valuable
philosophies I think some of them are now outdated in today’s corporate reality. I think that
rewarding workers on a merit based system is a valued method of motivation. The motivational
factors with today’s modern worker needs more of a carrot than reliance on management. This
isn’t post war Japan or in many ways companies fighting for their stake in the market place for
survival.
Although companies have to stay competitive I think they now must take more of an
approach that is aligned with Crosby. Companies have to answer to board of directors with Key
Process Indicators metrics when reporting to Operations Management. You have to see if your
improvements are making an impact on your customer base and internal defects. Without it you
have no clear direction.
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That being said a combination of both philosophies I think fits better. Deming’s
insistence on not awarding business to the lowest bidder is a prime example. Many times
companies make poor choices which I have seen firsthand solely on pricing. This can lead to
costly quality issues internally or externally and cause you to lose trust. They both placed the
responsibility at the end of the day on management. I think this focus is paramount in running a
successful quality company. Without their backing then any management system can begin to
fail the moment it is rolled out to the workforce.
Deming’s 14 Points and Crosby’s 14 Steps of Quality
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Works Cited
Phil Crosby : 14 step Approach for Quality Improvement -TQM. (2009, December 3rd).
Retrieved November 26th, 2013, from VisionHancer:
http://visionhancer.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/phil-crosby-14-step-approach-for-qualityimprovement-tqm/
Biography Philip Crosby. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26th, 2013, from Philip Crosby Assciates:
http://www.philipcrosby.com/25years/crosby.html
Deming’s 14 Points on Total Quality Management. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26th, 2013, from
ASQ: https://asq.org/learn-about-quality/total-quality-management/overview/demingpoints.html
Deming’s 14 Principles for Management. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24th, 2013, from
Carpenter Group LLC: http://www.quality-improvement-matters.com/14-principles-formanagement.html
McInnis, D. (n.d.). W. Edwards Deming of Powell, Wyo.: The Man Who Helped Shape the
World. Retrieved November 26th, 2013, from WyoHistory.org:
http://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/w-edwards-deming
Philip Crosby Associates. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26th, 2013, from We Make Quality Make
Sense: http://www.philipcrosby.com/pca/B.Overview.html
Stauffer, R. (2010, February 2nd). What happened to the Deming philosophy? Retrieved
November 26th, 2013, from Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/whathappened-to-the-deming-philosophy
Suarez, J. G. (1992, July). Three Experts on Quality Management. Retrieved November 26th,
2013, from Department of the Navy TQL Office:
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a256399.pdf