All entries for November 2008

Deming's 14 Principles

W Edwards Deming is the first person that I heard from the first day of my CBE module, which is the first module of my MBE course. He was an American statistician who invented the Total Quality Management. During the survey of my PMA for CBE, I, of course, couldn't avoid to read many articles about him. His famous 14 principles were set out in his book "Out of the crisis" in 1982. People said that those 14 points has changed the history of Japan and the world.

Here are the 14 principles:

1.    Creat constancy of purpose.

2.    Adopt new philosophy of quality.

3.    Cease dependence on final inspection.

4.    Consider total cost, not just initial price.

5.    Find problems, improve constantly.

6.    Institute on-the-job training.

7.    Institute leadership across the organisation.

8.    Drive out fear.  (so natural, so important!)

9.    Break down communication barriers between units.

10.  Eliminate slogans, targets, exhortations for workers.

11.  Eliminate numerical goals.

12.  Encourage pride of workmanship.

13.  Encourage education & self-improvement.

14.  Take actions needed to make transformations.

: 26 Nov 2008 23:51 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Fishes

Last week was so intensive. I was so tired.

It was a OPP week. The fish video at the beginning of this model was very interesting and meaningful. Those men at fish shop looked so happy though their jobs seemingly did not that nice or comfortable. Their work were smelly, dirty, and had to start very early every morning. However, they approached their jobs like a game, made their works more complex than they were and enjoyed them so much. The video told us that work can be tough and dull but people can still enjoy it and make it a great part of their life. This depends on a choice made by yourself. You can choose to stay within the boundaries of the reality and become unhappy or you can try to pass these boundaries and become happy.

In the meantime, it reminded us that the managers should provide a good environment in which people could be their best. Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, has described one of this objectives was to create "a place where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody. An open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters, and where that sense of accomplishment is rewarded in the pocketbook and the soul".

One of our fish exercises was to discuss the main factors that influence people's attitude towards their work. Salaries and benefits is one of the most important factors. Indeed, most people are working for money. However, please do not forget to take your interest into account when you looking for a job. Achievements in the work are also very important. However, please do not forget to spend some time with your family. When you are earning your living, please do not forget to enjoy your life. As I still remember what Paul has said in one CBE class: life is not a rehearsal.

: 24 Nov 2008 00:50 |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Quality, Customer Satisfaction etc. continue…

This continuous entry is really late, which I really didn't mean to be that late! I wote last entry before I left home, and decided to finish it after I came back. However...

So, do the things as soon as you decide to do! - at least do it as soon as possible, otherwise it may be delayed day after day after day, and meantime, the thing you haven't finished will always reminds you that "you have to finish it, you have to finish it...", but you don't even want to start a new entry without finish the old one.

Now, let me do it!

But honestly, I have to find out the materials I have read and read them agian. Trying to remember what I was going to write, and I probably can't catch up all the stuff.

There are three attributes which was mentioned by Kano:

1. Indifferent attributes. The customer does not care about this feature.

2. Questionable attributes. It is unclear whether this attribute is expected by the customer.

3. Reverse attributes. The reverse of this product feature was expected by the customer.

Kano developed a questionnaire to identify the basic, performance excitement factors and above three attributes.

1. For each product feature a pair of questions is formulated to which the customer can answer in one of five different ways.

2. The first question concerns the reaction of the customer if the product shows that feature (functional question).

3. The second question concerns the reaction of the customer if the product does not show this feature (dysfunctional question).

4. By combining the answers all attributes can be classified into the six factors.

Besides the obvious quality management and marketing usage, the Kano's theory can also be relevant to describe employee satisfaction, as employees can be perceived as internal customers.

: 19 Nov 2008 00:07 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem