This is one of the most exciting times to be involved in business any business. The continuous improvement tools and the management philosophies being practiced these days are light-years ahead of their predecessors. Or are they? Recall the discussion in Chapter 2 when we reviewed the teachings of two of the quality pillars of this century, Dr. Deming and Dr. Juran. Their 14 principles espoused the need for management's direct involvement in the business of improvement instead of merely providing lip service.

Dr. Deming also preached that PDCA was a key element of any effective management system. Recall that in its early years, Toyota studied American manufacturers and thought leaders. It adopted Dr. Deming's philosophy on PDCA, and today PDCA is considered to be the DNA of the Toyota Production System.

While Toyota practices the Toyota Production System, many other companies follow the structure outlined in the 2000 version of the ISO 9000 international standard. The objective of any global management structure is to foster a culture that assures successful execution of the business objectives and enables a pursuit of continuous improvement. Many claim that ISO 9000:2000 can charter the path that enables a business to recognize this objective. I concur.

You do not have to look very far to see Dr. Deming's influence in the ISO 9000:2000 standard. In Chapter 2, we saw that PDCA is also a key proponent of ISO 9000:2000. When executed to the fullest intent of its authors, it promotes a culture that fosters...