SV: Seddon on Six Sigma

[Øgland - Petter <petter.ogland@skatteetaten.no>]

Previously I wrote a mail containing the ten arguments against ISO 9000 from
John Seddon's first edition of "The case against ISO 9000".  Seddon's book
was written with ISO 9001:1994 as reference.  Dirk van Putten questions each
argument, pointing out that they do not seem relevant when we look at ISO
9001:2000.

Unfortunately, I haven't read Seddon's second edition, but I've read his
"Vanguard Standards", accessible for free on his website, being quite
interesting attempts, as I see it, to use the ISO 9001:2000 framework for
implementing Deming's SoPK.

After all, Deming's SoPK is a system for analysing the organization as a
system, isn't it?  Well, then why not think of SoPK as a quality management
system?  This is what Seddon does.  In fact, he thinks of SoPK as a Lean
Management System, having his standards constantly addressing how to achieve
flow by removing waste.

I was quite impressed when I read this.  Perhaps it turns out that Deming is
better understood in the UK than he is in his home country?  I haven't seen
Seddon debunking Six Sigma yet, but he certainly seem to be on the right
track integrating Deming, ISO 9000 and Lean.

Petter Ogland