Profound - S3 E9 - Bill Bellows - Genichi Taguchi and Quality - Part 2

S3 E9 - Bill Bellows - Genichi Taguchi and Quality - Part 2

01/22/24 • 48 min

In this second part of a two-part series, I speak with Bill Bellows about W. Edwards Deming's influence on Japanese manufacturing, specifically Toyota. We discuss Deming's relationship with Genichi Taguchi and how their quality philosophies intersect and complement each other. We explore Deming and Taguchi's differing notions of quality - meeting specifications versus minimizing loss to society. Bill's LinkedIn can be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-bellows-218435/

Previous Episode

S3 E8 - Bill Bellows - Genichi Taguchi and Quality - Part 1

In this first part of a two-part series, I chat with Bill Bellows in this episode. Bill gave us a little history of his introduction to Genichi Taguchi's methods and quality concepts while working as an engineer in the jet engine industry. We explore key ideas around variability reduction, precision vs accuracy, process capability, and Taguchi's loss function. Our conversation looks at the difference between traditional quality approaches focused on specifications and Taguchi's view of quality based on quantifying loss and variation. We riff on analogies using a dartboard and Deming's red bead experiment to clarify Taguchi's perspectives on "loss" and variation even within specification limits. Bill's LinkedIn can be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-bellows-218435/

Next Episode

S4 E1 - Adam Hawkins - Seeking Quality in the Digital Landscape

I have an enlightening conversation with Adam Hawkins in this episode. We dive deep into W. Edwards Deming's seminal perspectives on quality.

Our dialogue explores how this expansive framing of quality requires connecting producers and consumers in a broader system. We relate these concepts to service level objectives (SLOs) and their role in quantifying acceptable loss balanced against keeping systems valuable. This leads us to the profound realization that quality is contextual, varying across different systems and business needs.

Among other topics, we touch on the intricacies of variation, Deming's red bead experiment, the challenges of measurement and pragmatism, bringing quality thinking into software, and the difficulty of conveying Deming's multifaceted ideas to novices. Our exchange centers on constructing shared mental models to apply Deming's deep knowledge in today's digital landscape.

Adam’s LinkedIn can be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hi-adam-hawkins/
Software Delivery in Small Batches Podcast:
https://smallbatches.fm/people/adam-hawkins

Precision, Accuracy, and Two Quality Questions: Unpacking a conversation between John Willis and Bill Bellows on Taguchi's approach to quality
https://softwarekaizen.substack.com/p/c83a7c05-d5b0-4cb3-93db-0e359108e3bb