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How to form a Deming Association

Deming Association listing - last updated 03OCT98

DEN links to Deming Associations

Forming a Deming Association
This "manual" was developed by the Network and Support Team for the W. Edwards Deming Institute.

Forming a Deming Association

What Is a Deming Association?

A Deming association consists of a collection of individuals or organizational members who wish to learn about and to develop an increasing understanding of Dr. Deming's teachings and their application to life and work. Deming associations have taken on a variety of names. They refer to themselves as associations, study groups, research groups, user groups, forums, or alliances. Deming associations range from small, informal groups of people from one community to highly structured organizations with a membership of several hundred from several different countries. All share an interest in Deming's theory as the foundation and framework for continual learning. Most of these groups were begun by the efforts of a single individual or a small group of people who had the desire and the commitment to form and operate such an organization.

Purpose of This Document

The W. Edwards Deming Institute was founded by Dr. Deming in 1993. The aim of the Institute is "to foster understanding of The Deming System of Profound Knowledge to advance commerce, prosperity, and peace." To create and sustain a community of mutual support, the Institute promotes worldwide cooperation of Deming associations. This document is intended to provide information to people who are interested in forming a Deming association. A list of existing associations may be obtained from the Deming Institute (contact information appears later). There may be a local Deming association already in existence that an interested person could join, rather than forming a new group.

Why Form a Deming Association?

Individuals who are interested in Deming's work to the degree that they wish to form a Deming association will already possess some knowledge of Deming's teachings and a desire to deepen their understanding of Deming's theory and its application. Often, members of a group or association focused on Deming's work believe that they can increase the rate and depth of learning in a collaborative environment. They believe that synergy of learning and practice will develop out of group activity. They wish to have an opportunity to study and to learn without the usual pressures of business activity. They also understand that learning Deming's philosophy and associated methodologies in depth is a long term process that requires commitment and knowledgeable guidance.

As they seek to learn and to deepen their understanding of Deming's theory, Deming associations work within the context of learning set forth by Deming. They understand that "...Without theory, experience has no meaning. Without theory, one has no questions to ask. Hence without theory, there is no learning...," and that "anyone could make a list of companies that are doing well, even though their management follows one or all of the ... bad practices...If anyone were to study without theory such a company, i.e., without knowing what questions to ask, he would be tempted to copy the company, on the pretext that 'they must be doing some things right.' To copy is to invite disaster." Association members need to understand these concepts before they study examples of organizational practices and improvement initiatives and as they develop their own association. They also need to understand that increasing the number of participants will not necessarily improve their learning. As Dr. Deming said, "enlargement of a committee is not a reliable way to acquire profound knowledge." They understand that study of Deming's writings in his own words provides a reliable foundation for further study.

Initial Steps

To form an association, an interested group of people develop shared ideas about what needs will be met by the association. They produce a statement of purpose that may be refined subsequently. Initial discussions should address:

• What are our reasons for forming an association?

• What are our personal expectations for the group? (If the members of the group are more interested in a range of specific techniques, such as Kaizen, reengineering, or quality control methods and standards, then the group should probably affiliate itself with organizations focused on these subjects, rather than forming a Deming-focused association.)

• What are our expectations for growth? How will growth affect the pursuit of our purpose?

• What format will help us achieve our expectations? Format considerations include meeting structures (informal dialogue, presentations followed by discussion, ...), meeting content, when and how often the group will meet

• What resources (people, books, videos, etc.) are available to help us learn?

• Will we have subgroups with different areas of focus, such as research, study of applications, etc.?

• What administrative work needs to be done to be able to function (provision of a contact point — telephone or address for people who want to contact the association, meeting notices, arrangements for meeting sites,...)? Who will do the work?

• How will we plan meetings?

• How will we communicate?

• How will we record and distribute information?

• How will we handle copying, mailing, and other expenses, if any?

• How will we divide up the work and see that it gets done?

• Will we communicate with people who are not group members; if so, how?

• What will be the group's name?

The preceding list of topics may seem formidable. All of these issues do not need to be addressed at the first meeting of the group. Decisions should be made early about how administrative work will be accomplished in the near term. Otherwise, administrative issues will occupy time that should be spent fulfilling the association's purpose. In the early stages, simplicity and informality will help to ensure that the administrative burden does not become a barrier to keeping the group functioning. The focus should be on providing value to participants, rather than on record-keeping. The group will wish to make changes for the purpose of improvement as the group develops.

Once initial discussions are concluded, the group should notify The W. Edwards Deming Institute of its existence so that the association can be listed in the Institute's record of associations. The association may provide notification by completing the form at the end of this document.

Organizational Structure

In the initial stages, an association does not need to establish an elaborate structure. The group of individuals who initially form the association can provide administrative leadership as a steering team. Assignments and responsibilities within the steering team should be clearly defined.

Although administrative leadership is required to form and operate an association, planning for learning is equally important. Contact with The W. Edwards Deming Institute and participation in the Deming Electronic Network can be sources of contacts with individuals and groups who can provide knowledgeable advice on sources of guidance for learning.

If at all possible, work should be carried out by volunteers. The existence of a paid staff can create requirements for income that deflect the association from its purpose and may create pressures to compromise its principles. As the organization develops, substantial growth may require that a more formal structure be developed. A systemic approach should be used to describe and to manage the organization. Understanding the content of Deming's book, The New Economics, will help in design and management of the association.

Operations

If there is sufficient growth to warrant establishment of a formal structure, a variety of items need to be addressed to plan and conduct the activities of the association. The following list includes some of the items that should be addressed:

Government - decision-making methods, leadership, succession

Membership - types, conditions, renewal, dues, maintenance of membership data

Meeting planning - format, content

Meeting scheduling and arrangements

Establishment and maintenance of records of activities

Publications - newsletter, brochure, other publications

Communications - internal, external

Marketing and public relations

Income - dues, activities

Banking and financial records

Legal requirements

Equipment - purchase, storage, maintenance

Supplies - purchase, storage, inventory

A more formal organization will need by-laws that describe how the association is governed, how meetings are conducted, and how financial and legal activities are conducted. As soon as the association acquires any funds or assets, it will be necessary to establish methods to keep financial records. Records should be kept of all income and expenses.

In the United States, there are regulations governing the operations and financial activities of organizations. It is possible to obtain a non-profit status that exempts the organization's income from being subject to certain taxes. Since tax regulations and other legal requirements vary from state to state and country to country, you should check with local legal and tax experts about requirements specific to your association's location.

To Establish and Maintain Connections

To inform the Deming community of your association's existence and to become listed as a Deming Association, e-mail a completed copy of the form shown at the end of this document to Jim Clauson, DEN Moderator.

To maintain connections with individuals and groups in other locations, an independent electronic network has been created. The Deming Electronic Network (DEN) is a volunteer-operated, non-commercial electronic communications resource available internationally to individuals and organizations interested in The Deming System of Profound Knowledge. The Deming Electronic Network Web site provides overview information about The W. Edwards Deming Institute, a moderated discussion group, and a file area with a number of articles about Deming's philosophy and various methods and tools.

To subscribe to the DEN discussion list, send a message to:

den.list-request@deming.ces.clemson.edu

The message Subject should be: Subscribe DEN or Subscribe DEN digest

(The second subject allows you to receive all of the day's discussion as one long message.) The message text should include e-mail address and contact information. To access the DEN information and files using a web browser, go to http://deming.ces.clemson.edu/pub/den

Acknowledgment

This document was produced by the Network and Support Committee of The W. Edwards Deming Institute. A valuable source of information was the publication "Forming a Deming Study Group," written by Kay L. Carlson, founder of the Washington Deming Study Group. We wish to express our appreciation to Kay Carlson for her efforts to help other Deming associations begin their activities.

Deming Association Information Sheet

Name of Group:

Contact Individual:

Mailing Address:

Telephone:

FAX:

E-mail:

Web Address:
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Acknowledgements:

The Indy Quality, Productivity, and Involvement Council for the use of their Deming/PDSA image.
SPC Press for the use of their Deming background image.
Clemson University for the use of their CQI server and support.
Del Kimbler for his technical support for the DEN.

The URL for this page is http://deming.ces.clemson.edu/pub/den/deming_assoc.htm

This page was created by Jim Clauson on 05OCT97, and last updated 03OCT98.