Part 4 Presentation of the Deming Chain Reaction

Whilst at a recent conference, where I made reference to the chain reaction, it occurred to me that a significant factor in the apparent low ‘take up’ in practice of the Deming Chain Reaction could be related to the way that it is still generally presented and described i.e. as a linear sequence in an almost explicit manufacturing context. I suspect that when it was first ‘developed’ this context & format were very appropriate/ relevant to the issues of the day e.g. post WW2 manufacturing & employment – but I wonder i this both potentially ‘undervalues’ & unintentionally limits its ‘take up’ in current practice? There appears to be a hint of this line of thinking in “Fourth Generation Management”. On page 23, describing the chain reaction, Brian Joiner writes:

“With his (Demings’) permission, we’ve added a final step to this chain: provide better return to investors.”

And potentially even more significantly goes on to say:

“And producing more with the same resources raises our standard of living”.

Reflecting particularly on this latter point, and in the light of some of today’s’ key issues e.g. quality of life, climate issues, stewardship of natural resources etc, causes me to wonder if a different form of presentation & wording might ‘open the door’ to a significantly greater application of the Chain Reaction. For instance I am wondering about:

· Presentation as a closed loop cycle – rather than an open linear sequence.

· Wording which is more readily related to a universal context – rather than a limited manufacturing organisational context. Some thoughts that are beginning to form:

o Starting point ;

§ ‘Understanding the real value needs of your ‘community of interest’.

o Costs decreased because:

§ Less pollutants ‘generated’.

§ Less wasted labour.

§ Less wasted creativity.

§ Less waste/ destruction of limited natural resources.

o Productivity improves:

§ Human.

§ Material.

§ Financial.

§ Ecological

o Outcomes including:

§ Jobs & more jobs.

§ Better quality of life.

§ Reduction in carbon emissions.

§ Conservation of natural resources.

§ Increased financial profit.

§ Better return to investors.

§ Increased ‘wealth’.

In part 5 we will briefly ‘visit’ the world of Social Entrepreneurship, hopefully to gain further useful insight