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Library | Quality & Problem Solving

Out of the Crisis

A foundational critique of management practices that undermine quality and long-term performance.

Key takeaways

  1. Management owns system conditions
  2. Variation must be understood
  3. Fear suppresses useful information

How to apply it in your business

  1. Review quality losses as system issues
  2. Use control charts instead of target-only judging
  3. Remove one fear-inducing reporting practice

About the author

W. Edwards Deming was a statistician and quality-management pioneer whose ideas influenced modern operations.

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