Deming’s 14 points (for software development) by Jamie Dinkelacker (Geo/Maps Engineering Program Manager at Google Inc. Focus on lean principles and agile practices for software development):
W. Edwards Deming’s work on quality, while widely misinterpreted and misapplied in the USA, was nonetheless a watershed that Japanese companies, especially Toyota, took to heart…
Below are Deming’s 14 points accompanied by commentary related to software development.
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Design quality in, don’t use inspection to find errors.
Mistake proof the system.
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In a fearful environment, workers do not operate in the organization’s best interest; instead their energies are by necessity focused on self-protection.
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Mistakes typically come from bad systems not bad workers. Don’t exhort people to work harder or smarter; instead create a more intelligent workflow and system tailored tot he essential nature of software development as human collaboration (not just coordination) such that people can excel.
A good read. Also a good blog on management improvement ideas and software development (though not very active). See my Deming on Management resource where I try to explain what Dr. Deming actually said and meant and dispel some misconceptions.
Related: Dr. Deming’s 14 Points - Deming’s Ideas at Markey’s Audio Visual - Lean, Toyota and Deming for Software Development - Google: Ten Golden Rules
