I have uploaded a doc to Scribd promoting a day event on Deming Secrets. This is organised by the Deming Special Interest Group of the CQI in London. The aim is to explain the "secrets" - the parts of Deming ideas that are still not well known.

Deming's Secrets Flyer<script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd. src="http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js" ; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script>

I have two suggestions as "secrets"

1. A lot of the ideas are Japanese, not American. I don't think Deming had exactly the same view throughout his career. Quality circles continue to operate in Asia but not much in USA (or UK). The learning aspects of the Shewart cycle were taken further in Japan as far as I can tell. (This is either a secret or something not many people talk about}

2. "The New Economics" means "The New Economics". There is an explanation of how firms fail in quality theory. I am thinking about Kodak at the moment. The speed of change is sometimes too much for any system. ( I still hope the video cameras survive somehow by the way, love my Zi8} Quality ideas have not been studied much by those academics who only see a series of fads or prescriptions. But unfortunately there are enough examples of companies in trouble to offer some cases.