Discussion:
Response 1
Which of the points do you think is most important and why? Secondly, do you believe that this methodology would be effective? Why or why not?
Dr. Deming developed 14 key points of management that was lauded as revolutionary as a way of improving effectiveness of how businesses are managed. The first point that I think is the most important and would implement immediately is to create constancy of purpose. Strive for constant improvement in products and services, with the aim of becoming competitive and ensuring consistency in the way business is done, which will ensure retention of employme nt (Mulder, 2017). If companies are always searching to be innovative and looking for areas that it can always improve productivity then you are looking at the next apple or Microsoft. Creating a culture where improving product design and service is our mission yet realizing customers are the most important is a business model that will always reside on the cutting edge of success.
Another point that is very important is to break down barriers between departments. Teamwork is paramount in helping a business prosper in today's time. Group think relies of different departments getting together and working on process flows of product to maybe help where bottlenecks are constantly occurring for example. Someone who use to work in the sales department who maybe was top seller but moved to a different department will be restricted in sharing his or hers' advice on how they improved certain problems while they worked there if communication barriers are in place in the company. Creating multifunctional teams to improve product design and implementation rely on good communication.
Lastly, another key point to Deming's 14 points of management is be willing and ready to adopt the new philosophy. Government regulations and antitrust activities need to be changed to support the well-being of people. Commonly accepted levels of mistakes and defects can no longer be tolerated. People must receive effective training so that they understand their job and understand that they should not be afraid to ask for assistance when it is needed (Deming's, n.d.). The new philosophy adopted allows the company flexibility to be nimble and open to possible changes during challenges brought on by these trying economic times. A company that has a rigid management philosophy will not be able to sustain success when sudden changes are required to keep up with innovation.
I definitely think the Deming 14 points of management will be effective if implemented in Smitheford Pharmaceuticals. I think it will be very effective because these management points will promote a work environment that every employee will feel vested in the company's success. Employees will have all the required training and have many opportunities to discuss situations in which their ideas and solutions will be heard and implemented in the process flow. Upper Management and team leads will be visible in the workplace looking for innovation and transformational employees who are looking for vast ways to improve the company and promote their positive work environment to top employees of other company's also. Take as a while, the 14 points are a guide to the importance of building customer awareness, reducing variation, and fostering constant continuous change and improvement throughout organizations (Recipe, n.d.).
Response 2:
Background
W. Edwards Deming is known as one of the fathers of Total Quality Management. I first learned about Dr. Deming when I was in college in 2001. I had to take a Total Quality Management class for my associate's degree. He is most well-known for his efforts in Japan following World War II. (American Society for Quality, 2018) There he helped Japanese industry gain power in industry until it became a leader in the world market. (American Society for Quality, 2018) His teachings really took off in Japan, but the United States was reluctant to apply his theories. (American Society for Quality, 2018) Eventually Japan would make American companies have to listen. Companies like Toyota, Motorola, and Mazda were out performing the United States in quality. American companies quickly realized what they were doing wrong, and Total Quality Management became a priority. W. Edward Deming developed 14 points for management. (American Society for Quality, 2018) These points are the foundation for Total Quality Management. (American Society for Quality, 2018) We are planning to implement the 14 points at Smitheford Pharmaceuticals. We will discuss which point is most important and whether the company's plan for implementing a point each year will work.
The Most Important Point
It is really hard to narrow down the 14 points to just one most important point. My choice would be point 14 which is to put everyone in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. (W. Edwards Deming Institute, 2018) This means that everyone from top to bottom in the company is part of making this change happen. The employees and management all have to buy into this philosophy for quality. Any system of change requires the belief or faith of those implementing the change in order for it to succeed. I have seen these changes implemented in the past with great success. Success that was not achievable until everyone was on board and working toward a common goal. That is when transformation happens. Total quality management is not just one point though. It is a sum of all the points combined. The reason I chose this point is because it directs all employees to the other points. I believe that just one at a time will not work effectively.
Implementation
They way that Deming's 14 points read dictate a flow for implementation. The very first one states that we are to establish a constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service. (W. Edwards Deming Institute, 2018) This leads to the next which is adopting a new philosophy. (W. Edwards Deming Institute, 2018) This continues all the way through each of the 14 points. They all tie together to make a system of principles to build a system of quality. Each of the points will take time to implement. The truth is that it will never be fully implemented because under Dr. Deming's philosophy the process is to constantly seek to improve the process by building quality into it. (W. Edwards Deming Institute, 2018)
Using the information above and my previous experiences with Total Quality Management, it is my recommendation that we implement all the points together. Trying to implement one a year will only draw out the process. To me, it appears that as we would implement one point that we would be forced into implementing others at the same time. The program was developed for complete implementation. This means we need to jump in with both feet and get to work focusing on quality in every aspect of what we do at Smitheford.