FW: On the entire "Quality Cost" Debate

[WMack <WMack@PEC.com>]

> I would like
> to hear  from other subscribers about the "do-it-right-first-time":
> 
> 1.    Was Dr.D against it?
> 2.    If so Why?
 
If "do it right the first time" is equivalent to "zero defects," 
Dr. Deming was most assuredly opposed.  You can find
references in the index to "The New Economics" and, I'm
pretty sure, in the index to "Out Of The Crisis" as well.

There are two primary reasons for Dr. Deming's opposition:
variation and new knowledge.  

Variation says that it is simply impossible to repeatedly 
hit your target.  You cannot "do it right" each and every 
time.  

New knowledge causes you to discover that what you 
thought was right yesterday may not be right today.  Your 
understanding of what is right changes over time.

Instead of "do it right the first time," Dr. Deming proposed
continuous improvement and continuous learning.  
Continuous improvement reduces variation of results and
continuous learning causes us to change the desired 
results.  If you look carefully at what variation truly means,
then I think you will find that statements like "Do it right
the first time" provide almost no guidance in what to do.

Wayne Mack
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