(April 26, 2004) - The great thinkers about quality do not emphasize atomic, molecular, or aggregate notions. They view quality as the self-defining result of a system. As a result, their quality definitions look like this:

1. Create constancy of purpose to improve product and service.
2. Adopt new philosophy for new economic age by management learning responsibilities and taking leadership for change.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality; eliminate the need for mass inspection by building quality into the product.
4. End awarding business on price; instead minimize total cost and move towards single suppliers for items.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service to improve quality and productivity and to decrease costs.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Institute leadership; supervision should be to help do a better job; overhaul supervision of management and production workers.
8. Drive out fear so that all may work effectively for the organization.
9. Break down barriers between departments; research, design, sales, and production must work together to foresee problems in production and use.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and numerical targets for the workforce, such as 'zero defects' or new productivity levels. Such exhortations are diversions as the bulk of the problems belong to the system and are beyond the power of the workforce.
11. Eliminate quotas or work standards and management by objectives or numerical goals; substitute leadership.
12. Remove barriers that rob people of their right to pride of workmanship; hourly workers, management and engineering; eliminate annual or merit ratings and management by objective.
13. Institute a vigorous education and self-improvement program.
14. Put everyone in the company to work to accomplish the transformation