Re: Defining Deming Customers

[Myron Tribus <mtribus@earthlink.net>]

I find it helpful to bring up the concept of "customer" only when 
discussing process improvement.  The discussion begins with "Why are 
we doing this?"  "Who is the beneficiary?"   If the answers to these 
questions are vague, then the question is "Why do it?".   When we get 
past these questions the issue of who is the customer becomes easy. 
There are many customers along the way, especially if you say, as 
Bata** did around 1920, "The next man in line is your customer".  Once 
you have identified customers for processes (and for process steps) 
you can proceed to the most meaningful question: "What would the 
customer tell us defines a quality process?"

Organizations serve many people.  After the different customers have 
been identified, what will you do with the information?  Until you 
focus on an activity, the identification of customers belongs in what 
I call the "3M category"   Mood Modifying Measurements.   After you 
have the answer, you use it to make yourself and others feel good or 
feel bad or feel satisfied.   Nothing more.

Myron Tribus  Co Director WCCLD  Web Master ICELP
350 Britto  Terrace, Fremont, CA 94539
Ph: (510) 651 3641  Fx: (510) 656 9875
Email: mtribus@earthlink.net
"Dear Lord, grant me patience, RIGHT NOW!"


[**  For those interested in more historical underpinnings of "modern" management thinking, Tomas Bata
book has been translated into English and is available on the In Thinking Network's web site at
       http://www.in2in.org/bata_book/tomas_bata_book.pdf

Myron is to thank for getting this to us as well.