Quality in Piecework Pay?

[Aaron Jones <aaronj@stylecraft.com>]

Hello all,

I am a Newbie to the DEN forum and have been very impressed with all of the
fine posts I have read.  I have only been subscribed for a week, and
apologize if this subject has been discussed previously.   I have been
involved in other list servs and must say it is very much appreciated to
finally find one with some civility rather than "bashing".  I am a young
graduate with a BA in Management and I used to find myself eager to go to
class to discuss Deming, TQM, Constraint Management, etc.  It was always
exciting to listen, discuss, and contemplate Dr. Deming's teachings and I
find these postings equally as fascinating.  

For discussion sake, I have recently taken a job for a major furniture
manufacturer as a project manager and have finally been able to attempt to
apply theory to practical "reality."  This is where everything becomes very
interesting.  At the plant, we have around 700 plant employees paid on the
piecework or "incentive" pay system.  As you all could surmise, they all
work like hell and get out of here, and as a result the same old
story--poor-(er) quality.  This is the first of many real life examples I
plan to discuss or ask for incite on how Dr. Deming would handle this.
Would he (myself) try to institute a whole new pay system (laugh, laugh from
upper management), or work on some other way to motivate the employees to
incorporate quality into the piecework and/or unit values for each piece?
By the way, our current quality control system also defeats any of Demings
purposes.  We give points for bad quality--certain number=written
warnings-certain number=termination. All of our quality control is based on
negative reinforcement.  Dr. Deming believed in positive reinforcement, such
as continuous training, education, pride, recognition.  


I would appreciate any comments, suggestions and/or real life examples of
how to incorporate Dr. Demings system of Profound Knowledge into this sort
of environment.  Is it something that needs to start from scratch?  Is it
possible to even have Deming philosophy in a piecework system.  Part of it?

Learning today, from yesterday, for tomorrow.

Aaron Jones
Lake Okoboji, IA
jonesac@hotmail.com 
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