Ten Principles of Deming's Quality Management

1. The Company Should Have an Unwavering Goal

Many companies tend to solve current problems and ignore future goals. According to Deming's principle: "A company cannot exist in the commercial field without a plan for the future." An unwavering goal requires innovation. For example, the company needs to have a long-term plan, invest in research and education, and continuously improve products and services.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Develop a quality assurance plan to provide a long-term quality direction.
• Software testers must develop and maintain a consistent test plan for each project.
• Encourage quality analysts and testers to follow innovative methods to maximize product quality.
• Committed to continuous improvement of the quality process.

2. Quality Becomes the Company's Belief

Quality must become a new belief. According to Deming's theory, "the cost of survival is inversely proportional to the quality of goods and services that need to be purchased. For example, reliable services can reduce costs, while delayed services or mistakes can increase costs". The consumption of goods and services is terminated due to delayed services and errors, reducing their significance.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Educate development organizations about the value and need for quality.
• Improve the status of the quality assurance department so that they are as important as other departments.
• Correct the negative perception of the quality department as a "watchdog."

3. Don't Rely on Massive Inspections

The traditional idea is that inspections can rule out poor quality. When it is difficult to determine where a defect is generated in the process, a good method is to focus on how we're doing, not on the final product. Quality should be intrinsic rather than relying on countless inspections.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Improve technical reviews and inspections to capture quality throughout the development lifecycle.
• Instill quality awareness throughout the organization as a tangible, measurable work product.
• Need statistical evidence of IT quality.

4. Don't Choose Suppliers Purely Based on Price Factors

"Two or more suppliers of the same commodity can lead to unhealthy competition that can harm the supplier and the commodity users". To better serve the company, the buyer may establish a long-term loyal relationship with the supplier and build a trusting relationship with a dedicated supplier. It is possible to measure which supplier is better by a series of criteria, but a better way is to actively use Deming's 14 principles to participate in supplier management.

In software development, various tools, middleware suppliers, and sub-contractors may be required, and the quality of these goods or services will greatly affect the final product quality.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Software product and service providers are required to provide statistical data that can prove their quality.
• Select the best supplier for each quality assurance tool, testing tool, and service, and establish a working relationship consistent with the quality plan.
• Establish a consistent quality assurance plan for sub-contract contractors.

5. Long-term and Stable Improvement of Product and Service Systems

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Improvement is not a temporary effort - managers are responsible for continuously improving quality. "Extinguishing the fire - many companies call it the fire brigade, which is not to improve, find the place out of control, find the special reason and correct it. It is to correct the process back to its original position. The responsibility for improvement is a continuous process."

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Continuously improve the quality assurance and testing process.
• Don't rely on your supervisor's judgment.
• Use statistical techniques, such as testing analysis and revealing the root cause of the problem through major cause and effect analysis.

6. Establish Training and Retraining System

In many companies, there is no training, and employees do not know when they can correctly complete their work. Eliminating inappropriate training is very difficult. Deming emphasized that training should not be suspended as long as statistics cannot control the work outcomes and greater benefits can be obtained.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Establish modern training aids and practices.
• Encourage quality workers to continuously improve their technical knowledge in quality and testing by participating in seminars or classes.
• Encourage workers to establish new seminars and special interest groups.
• Use statistical techniques to determine when training is needed and when training can finish.

7. Establish a Good Organizational Structure

"There is no excuse for putting people in positions they don't know how to do. The vast majority of so-called people with nothing to do 'is because they are placed in unsuitable jobs or due to poor management". Managers are responsible for finding out why employees are not proud of their work. From an IT perspective, developers often think that quality should be the responsibility of the quality department. As a quality leader, QA should act with courage and determination and point out that quality is everyone's responsibility.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• If QA testing finds that a developer has many errors, we need to train them on how to conduct a unit test or code more effectively.
• Improve the supervision of process specifications, this is the responsibility of the manager.
• Allow project managers to spend more time helping the project team member.
• Use statistical techniques to reveal where defects exist.
• Strengthen various communications within the organizational structure.
• Strengthen the formulation, implementation, and feedback of the quality plan.
• The quality department maintains certain independence.

8. Breaking Obstacles Between Different Fields

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Many problems arise when departments have different goals. These departments do not act as effective groups to solve problems, set policies, and define new directions. "People can work very well within their departments, but if their goals conflict, they will cause damage to the company. It's better to have a joint working group responsible for the company."

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• The quality assurance department and other departments need to work closely together. QA should be regarded as a good partner, and they are committed to making software products the best products in the end.
• The quality assurance organization should point out that the defect should be found before the product finally reaches the user.

9. Excluding Slogans, Instructions and Goals Set for Hard Work

"Slogans will not help anyone do a good job, and they will produce frustration and resentment." Slogans such as "0 defect" or "doing things well at the first time" are good on the surface. The problem is that they are seen as a signal that managers do not understand or care about employees' actual issues. In practice, a goal is set without describing how to achieve it.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Encourage managers to avoid using slogans and formulate norms to guide practice.
• QA organizations should develop document standards, processes, and steps instead of generating useless slogans. Other organization members can use these standards, processes, and steps to obtain maximum quality.

10. Establishing a Powerful Process of Education and Retraining

Quality is determined by the people who make the product and, ultimately, by human knowledge and skills. People must acquire new knowledge and skills. Education and retraining are investments in people, a long-term programs. Education and retraining must bring people to new jobs and prompt them to take on new responsibilities.

To apply this principle, a quality assurance organization can:

• Encourage quality workers to continuously improve their technical knowledge of quality and testing by participating in seminars or classes.
• Encourage workers to establish new seminars and special interest groups.
• Retrain individuals in new quality techniques.