RE: Deming Discipline

["John Zavacki" <jzavacki@greenapple.com>]

David makes some excellent points, but I feel the last is somewhat
incorrect. I would ask him, where's the data?

> For the present, we should also remember that there is
> little demand for specialists in the Deming Philosophy.
> So to have an expertise that is in demand may be a life-
> saver. Dr. Deming himself earned his living as an adviser
> on surveys for many years, while his other skills were
> not appreciated.

At the risk of opening another dialogue on six sigma, I think it is
important for the DEN to understand that in some places (such as my
company) that which is NAMED six sigma IS a System of Profound
Knowledge.  The Value Based Six Sigma method is designed to assure
alignment of all improvement efforts with strategic plans at the
divisional, company, and corporate levels.  Analysis of individual sites
are done at the financial and the operational level.  Our Black Belts
are taught leadership values which are consonant with Dr. Deming's
philosophy.  We are tasked with not only making the street happy, but
with changing our culture to one which understands systems, variation,
psychology, and knowledge.  To this end, we are having a week long best
practices symposium at which we will see some of the broadly applicaple
successes of the Black Belts and the managers and engineers of some of
our companies.  We are folding in a meeting of our international
champions, at which all of our counterparts will be present.  At one of
these sessions I will be presenting on the relationship or Value Based
Six Sigma to organizational learning, knowledge management, and
organizational systems.  All of which will be done in and SoPK framework
with Dr. Deming's name mentioned several very reverent times.  So I
think that there is demand for specialists in the Deming Philosophy,
they would be the Master Black Belts and the Champions.  This assures
that six sigma doesn't stand alone as a cost reduction tool.  And
please, no comments about mean shifts.  In our system, nobody cares.
The aim of the system is constant and continuous improvement of systems
and processes to the benefit of society.

John zavacki