Understanding how work is done — Deming’s theory of profound knowledge
William Edwards Deming is one of the most influential industrialists of the 20th century. He is responsible for introducing the quality systems that drove the industrialisation of Japan following the Second World War, turning it from a backwater humiliated and destroyed at the the end of the war, into a modern leader of technology and innovation by the end of the 20th century. This came about with Deming’s philosophy, pushing quality ahead of production which was taken to heart by the leaders of Japanese industry and developed into some of the the most successful production systems, most famously the Toyota production system.
the system of profound knowledge is made up of four components through which the world is looked at simultaneously. These components function as lenses through which we see, and all four are related to each other:
The reason that Deming believed his theory of profound knowledge was so important was that it would help individuals to transform within their organizations, which would, in turn, improve the outcomes in quality improvement efforts. Understanding and applying the four parts of Deming’s theory, he believes, will create a better leadership culture.
