One for Ed Deming – Learn the Profound System of Knowledge!

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

Tip of the hat & a deep bow to Ed Deming, the great American quality guru, who coined the above term, and gave us so much more.

Nowadays, some call it Toyota Production System, others ‘Lean’, yet others ‘Lean Six Sigma’.

But I have a soft spot for Deming and for ‘profound system of knowledge’, a rich phrase which harkens back centuries. As far back as Aristotle and the Athenian Agora, some say.

There is very little new under the sun. We are trying to apply the Scientific Method to the chaotic world of work, are we not? (Who knows what we’ll call it in a few decades?)

The Profound System of Knowledge has four cornerstones, Deming taught. Here they are along with what each means to yours truly:

1. Theory of Systems

• What’s a system?
• How do systems behave? What laws govern their behavior?
• How do we create order out of chaos?
• What is systems thinking? How do we apply it to get better outcomes?

2. Theory of Human Psychology

• Why do people behave as they do?
• What is the nature of human relationships?
• How do we develop our team members?
• How do we build trust?
• How do we motivate our team members?

3. Laws of Variation

• What are the causes of variability of work, in planning and problem solving?
• What are the laws of variation?

4. Theory of Knowledge

• How do we learn?
• Different learning styles
• How do we create a learning environment?

And everything is connected to everything else. Creating order in chaotic systems, for example, requires a deep understanding of why people behave as they do, how people learn, and of the laws of varation.

Good stuff, no? And worthy of a lifetime’s study and practice.

Thanks, Ed, again and forever. Trust the martinis are good in the Heavenly Bar, and the company diverting.

Best regards,

Pascal

Lean Expert Certificate

By Al Norval

This is an eternal question – do you certify someone in Lean?

I understand the need people have for a certificate. They’ve worked hard on building their Lean knowledge and skillset and want some recognition for it. This is consistent with the culture of our entire education system where year after year people receive grades and at some interim points receive a certificate often in the form of a Diploma or Degree presented to them with full pomp and circumstance at a Graduation ceremony. So why not do the same thing with Lean?

There is certainly a technical component to Lean in the use of many of the tools be they TPM, SMED, Kanban, or Standard Work and people could certainly be certified in the use of these tools but what about the other, deeper side of Lean – the thinking that underpins the use of the tools. How do you certify people’s thinking? With the tools, people can memorize some facts and reproduce those facts at the appropriate time but often we find people using a tool in the wrong context. What was right for one situation isn’t right for another. People have developed knowledge of a tool but not the deep System of Profound Knowledge Deming talked about that enables them to use the right tool in the right context.

Is it possible to certify Lean Thinking?

I’m not sure how to do that and even if you could certify people’s thinking, a large part of Lean is the ongoing Pursuit of Perfection. The endless PDCA cycle of eliminating waste, creating more value for Customers, solving problems and learning. For people the Pursuit of Perfection often translates into Lifelong Learning, continuing to build their knowledge through practice and reflection. This ongoing process allows people to build profound knowledge.

What’s the answer?

I believe in Certificates of Participation as a means of satisfying peoples need for recognition particularly at the early learning stages. But as people continue to learn this need goes away and once it does, people become true masters.

Cheers