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W. Edwards Deming is famous for his work in Japan and his attempts to transform Western management. A recently established collection in the Library of Congress contains his personal and professional papers. These files help clarify Deming’s profound views. Well organized and properly maintained, this collection is titled The W. Edwards Deming Papers. Those who are searching for an understanding of Deming’s experience and views will find a treasure trove of information and ideas. Obviously, this collection will not answer all of the questions about his philosophy, but it will help significantly. After a short description of his experience this article provides an overview of the collection and then focuses on five examples of potential research that will be aided by The W. Edwards Deming Papers. These examples are not presented as completed research, but rather as research opportunities intended to whet the research appetite of the reader.

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the capability in managing the maintenance of the transportation process from a quarry to a crushing plant, measured by the availability value and the process capability value.

The maintenance management plan consists of plans for three levels of management: strategy, tactical and operational maintenance plans. The Deming cycle is a continuous improvement tool use for controlling and monitoring activities of the plans. There are three Deming cycles according to these plans, the first of which involves the improvement of machine performance and investment evaluation. The second involves the improvement of plans, schedule, and activities of preventive maintenance including autonomous maintenance. The third is for human resource development on maintenance works. Moreover, the feedback of a prior round of each cycle comes early to detect abnormalities that provide better capability in maintenance.

Three Deming cycles can use for enhancing the maintenance management. The parameters are availability (A) of machines and the capability process (Cpk) of the transportation process. The results of this research state that the availability value of machines increases to 80-92 percent while the process capability value increases to 0.56.

The maintenance management, especially strategic plan, tactical plan and operational plan via the Deming cycle, can be implemented in other medium-sized industries with limited technology and personnel. It was found that the implementation of the plans has continued to progress with the Deming cycle.

This paper proposes how to successfully implement the maintenance management for medium-sized industries with limited technology and personnel. The maintenance management of three levels is carried out simultaneously by using the Deming cycle. This work has proven to be successful which can be expressed in the availability and the capability process values.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the epistemological origin of Shewhart's and Deming's ideas in their development of a theory of quality.

The approach takes the form of a literature review.

Walter. A. Shewhart's and W. Edwards Deming's ideas concerning a theory of quality originated not solely from insights about variation within statistics but also from the field of philosophy, particularly epistemology. Shewhart and Deming, both seen as quality pioneers, were strongly influenced by the conceptualistic pragmatist Clarence Irving Lewis and his theory of knowledge. This is, and has often been, a neglected connection; however, in today's competitive business environment knowledge and competence have become crucial success factors. Thus, the epistemology‐related origin of their theory of quality has become increasingly interesting and important to explore. First, a summary version of Clarence Irving Lewis' theory of knowledge will be presented here as expressed in his work Mind and the World Order: Outline of a Theory of Knowledge (1929). Second, examples of some important connections between Lewis, and chosen parts of Shewhart's and Deming's theory of quality will be given, for example the plan‐do‐study‐act cycle, operational definitions and profound knowledge. It will also be indicated how the social element in knowledge is emphasised in the works of Lewis, Deming, and Shewhart.

By exploring the epistemological background of Deming's and Shewhart's ideas of a theory of quality, it might be able to better comprehend the profound ideas they left behind and improve the understanding and use of their theory of quality today.

In this chapter, I argue, contrary to some current views, that workflow process mapping can be an important and relevant tool for assessing and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of library Technical Services departments. I also propose that linking workflow process mapping to the “High Performance” style of organizational management of W. Edwards Deming underlines both the value of process mapping and how the latter can obviate the need for hierarchical managerial control, by building a cohesive and efficient technical services team. First, I describe the “High Performance” management style of Deming, focusing in particular on what is generally called the “Deming Cycle.” Second, I describe the process of mapping workflows and emphasize its value for highlighting waste, improving existing processes, and maintaining sustainability. Third, I argue that linking workflow mapping to this larger understanding of management style results in several positive consequences for technical services departments, such as a team-based rather than hierarchical style of management, increased departmental and interdepartmental effectiveness and efficiency, and a better return on investment. I illustrate these points by looking directly at an example of an acquisitions department.

This article discusses the total quality management (TQM) movement and then elaborates about W. Edwards Deming’s experiences and views. Finally, there is a comparison of total quality management and the Deming approach to quality management. The TQM movement was attractive to many organizations during the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s. To succeed, total quality management had many long‐term require‐ments. One of these was that top management must have a passion for the subject. Without this sustained passion top management’s attention and energy towards TQM would be diverted to other pressing needs. While Deming insisted that there was no “instant pudding”, many consultants in establishing themselves with a client suggested short‐term gains. Because of this search for short‐term gains, process improvement and reductions in cycle time became very popular and in some cases a final objective. Unfortunately, after they ran their short‐term course, many efforts collapsed and TQM was often declared a failure.

Investigating the beginning of project management (app. 30 BC) with a focus on business models similar to the “PDCA” cycle, the purpose of this paper is to find an approach which could be used as a new standard procedure for the eradication of projects in Lean project management.

Based on literature research of models similar to Walter A. Shehwart’s three-step and Edward W. Deming’s four-step (PDC(A)) wheel, the investigated models are interconnected to form a new concept which represents an innovative cycle logic proposed to be applied in Lean project management. This new cycle logic is rolled out on three different levels, which are transferred from the Lean management hoshin kanri model to Lean project management. In addition to literature research, semi-structured interviews were performed to get an indication as to the integration of Lean management (with a focus on PDCA) in project management today.

It was found that the “Check Plan Do” cycle is a Lean variant of the “Plan Do Check Act” model that is already used in consulting projects in practice, partially appears in project management standards, in governance models of ambulance, fire services, human aid and military forces and in quality management models of Six Sigma, design for Six Sigma and an excellence model of the European Foundation for Quality Management. To ensure continuous improvement it was found that the new CPD cycle can be used on different “planning” levels in analogy to the hoshin kanri logic.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, a discussion as to how the PDCA cycle can be adapted to Lean project management, considering the implication of business models similar to the PDCA wheel, has not yet been conducted within the field of project management.

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a supplementary definition of quality and quality‐building in business. This supplementary definition is the outcome of a predominantly inductive research approach that has been delimited to the conceptual explanation of the main concern and its recurrent solution of those involved in the operation and management of businesses.

Classic grounded theory (CGT) has been used as the methodology. The main hallmark of CGT is concept and theory generation directly from data, while delimiting to the most important and problematic for those being studied. A rethinking of existing concepts takes place during one of the last stages of a CGT study. During this stage, the concepts of the generated theory are conceptually compared to the literature.

When the building blocks of the generated CGT of business and management were compared to the existing literature, the generated concept of “confidence‐building” emerged as a close conceptual synonym to “quality‐building”. Confidence‐building is understood as the application of certain trust‐building techniques (“saming”, transparency, distinguishing) that facilitate the modification or maintenance or prevention of people's behaviour (i.e. own, employees', customers', suppliers', etc. behaviour) in such a manner that the company's survival or growth is sustained.

This kind of analysis has not been done before. One implication of this rethought quality concept is that all issues pertaining to people relationships in business become an inseparable part of the quality issue – as well as issues like HRM, marketing, organisational adjustments and strategic decision making.

The purpose of this paper is to delineate an approach to quality assurance in education called networked improvement communities (NICs) that focused on integrating the methodologies of improvement science with few of the networks. Quality improvement, the science and practice of continuously improving programs, practices, processes, products and services within organized social systems, is a still-evolving area in education. This paper is the first of seven elaborating upon different approaches to quality improvement in education[1]. It delineates a new methodology called the NICs model. Developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the approach is aimed at continuously improving the quality of practices, processes and outcomes in targeted problem areas in education systems.

The paper presents the historical development, theoretical foundations, core principles and adaptation of key elements of the NICs model for quality improvement in education. A case study specifically examines the problem of fostering new teacher effectiveness and retention in large public school systems in the USA.

The six principles underlying the NICs model are as follows: make the work problem-specific and user-centered, focus on variation in performance, see the system that produces outcomes, improve at scale what you can measure, use disciplined inquiry to drive improvement and accelerate learning through networked communities.

Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available that examine the application of common models of quality improvement in education. This paper elaborates on one promising approach. In addition to examining the NICs model, the paper derives added value by allowing comparisons with seven widely used quality improvement approaches treated in this volume.

The evaluation of management systems is usually based on a series of assumptions which are never questioned. The purpose of this paper is to focus on two of these assumptions, in order to further develop a quantitative model to evaluate metrological management in companies, based on the ISO 10012:2003 standard.

First, the paper uses structural equations to identify the underlying relations between the different variables of the model and conclude that it follows the typical continuous improvement cycle formulated by Deming. And second, the paper processes the opinion of experts using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) techniques in order to prove that not all the variables included in the model are equally relevant in metrological management.

The first SME analysis validates the model itself and its integration with the other management schemes in the company, all based on the Deming cycle. The second AHP analysis leads to a reformulation of the model, assigning weights to the different variables and providing better guidelines for companies to improve their metrological management.

This constitutes a development of the management guidelines contained in the ISO 10012:2003 standard for metrological management, establishing the appropriate evaluation procedures.

The theory, process, and tools that are known collectively as “total quality management” offer ways in which empowerment of employees can support an organization′s efforts not only in quality improvement, but in empowerment as well. Its approach places the responsibility for an organization′s processes in the hands of those who know those processes best, and helps them to participate directly in the organization′s mission or purpose. In particular, the plan‐do‐study‐act cycle lies at the heart of the improvement process and represents the key to employee empowerment in that process. Using the case study of a telephone callback system and concrete examples representing applications in health care, education, and manufacturing, demonstrates how the PDSA cycle builds teams′ confidence in their ability to solve problems and bring about improvement, concomitantly enhancing pride in work and empowerment in the organization.