The foundation for today's quality control structure was built on the rock known as W. Edwards Deming, the person most credited with introducing innovative quality control techniques to U.S. industry. Statistical Process Control, data collection and analytical techniques, and continuous improvement were some of Deming's ideas that provided the base our industries needed in the 1980s and 90s to compete in a global marketplace. Companies flocked to Deming's seminars, bought his books, and experimented with his techniques. Given today's economic challenges, it would benefit manufacturers and distributors to revisit some of Deming's work.

While perusing Deming's papers at the Library of Congress, I discovered a good starting point. Deming spoke to the Congress on July 22, 1991, and his remarks, recorded in the Congressional Record of that day, provide a summation of some of his most compelling views.

A Case for Change. Deming believed government could add quality to its activities if it was willing to transform itself. This, he said, would require a total change in the way government thinks and acts. Today more than ever, change is essential to cope with economic instability. Manufacturers, in particular, must think creatively to take costs out of processes and continuously find more efficient ways of doing things.

Team Philosophy. Approaching tasks from the point of view of a team versus a hierarchy can change your thinking and bring about the desired result, Deming explained. The emphasis shifts to the entire team, the way it functions, and the power in applying this kind of collective thinking to solving problems and accomplishing tasks. It's important to have a leader, but his or her role should be to tap the resources of those individuals on the team who are most capable of initiating improvement.

Pyramid vs. Flow Chart. A pyramid in an organization merely tells you who is in charge. A flow chart describes not only your job, but other jobs as well. You can relate your job to what comes before as well as what comes after. Deming gave the analogy of someone responsible for cleaning a table. Is the table used in an office, a restaurant or an operating room? Such additional information is needed before the job can be done properly and effectively.

Winners and Losers. Deming believed learning was something everyone in an organization should be doing. Traditional learning expresses success in terms of ranking — the top one percent, five percent, etc. In Deming's view, this is the wrong approach. Learning is not meant to divide people into winners and losers, but to set standards and bring everyone along so that they can meet those standards. Today, training is the key to understanding new ideas and integrating them into our manufacturing processes.

After Deming's visit to Congress, Newt Gingrich, then Speaker of the House, penned a note to the quality guru. "Monday was an historic day in the Capitol," he wrote. "You won a number of converts to 'profound knowledge.' Now, we must study and learn."

Indeed, it is still a time to study and learn.