Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Move Your Bus'
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
It’s Only Common Sense: Selling to Today's Generation of Buyers
W. Edwards Deming’s Lost Chapters Recovered
August 12, 2020 | Happy Holden, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Hewlett-Packard (HP) had a reputation for excellence long before I joined the company in 1970. The owners and creators of the company had a passion for excellence in their DNA. But when HP’s Japanese Division Manager Yoji Akao won the Deming Prize in 1978, HP realized that as good as it was, it could be better.
Early benchmarking of our product designs with the Boothroyd Dewhurst Method (DFMA) provided data showing that we weren’t as good as we thought we were, and improvement was needed. The book the Japanese Division of HP wrote about the process of winning the Deming Prize created a whole new sense of urgency for top management. Foremost in their process was the advice of Dr. W. Edwards Deming.
Even in the 1980s, Dr. Deming was world-famous. He was known as the person responsible for the “Japanese quality revolution” of the 1950s. Dr. Deming was so successful at training the Japanese that he was in constant demand to help American corporations learn to compete against their Japanese competitors. However, his first requirement for working with a company was that the program had to be driven and championed by the company head.
I was cleaning up my bookcase recently and came across a tired, dog-eared set of papers that was Dr. Deming’s initial draft of his book On The Management of Statistical Techniques for Quality and Productivity, which I received when he came to HP to lecture about quality and productivity on March 11, 1981. Dr. Deming’s presentation took place in the company’s largest auditorium in Cupertino, California. The front row was populated with the company’s president at the time, John Young, as well as the VPs and directors. I received an invitation, but alas, I was in the rear row of the auditorium.
Dr. Deming’s lecture was inspirational but very much directed to all the managers in the auditorium and focused on leadership. His 14 points for management took shape during his lectures and were covered in various locations in the early draft he supplied to HP. When his book was finally published in 1982 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Advanced Engineering Study under the name Quality, Productivity, and Competitive Position, the 14 points had their own chapter.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the June issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
TT Electronics Achieves ISO 13485 Medical Certification at Mexicali EMS Facility
06/27/2025 | TT ElectronicsThis milestone underscores TT Electronics’ commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant, and reliable manufacturing solutions to its global customers in healthcare and life sciences.
The Death of the Microsection
06/26/2025 | Bob Neves, Reliability Assessment Solutions, Inc.I got my start out of college grinding and polishing PCB microsections. My thumbs are a bit arthritic today because of the experience (microsection grinders know what I mean). Back then, via structures were rather large, and getting to the center in six steps of grinding and polishing was easy compared to what my team has been doing recently at the lab.
Specially Developed for Laser Plastic Welding from LPKF
06/25/2025 | LPKFLPKF introduces TherMoPro, a thermographic analysis system specifically developed for laser plastic welding that transforms thermal data into concrete actionable insights. Through automated capture, evaluation, and interpretation of surface temperature patterns immediately after welding, the system provides unprecedented process transparency that correlates with product joining quality and long-term product stability.
United Electronics Corporation Advances Manufacturing Capabilities with Schmoll MDI-ST Imaging Equipment
06/24/2025 | United Electronics CorporationUnited Electronics Corporation has successfully installed the advanced Schmoll MDI-ST (XL) imaging equipment at their advanced printed circuit board facility. This significant technology investment represents a continued commitment to delivering superior products and maintaining their position as an industry leader in precision PCB manufacturing.