Red Bead Lessons

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LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE RED BEAD EXPERIMENT

1) It's the system, not the worers! I" yo# w$nt to %m&roe &er"orm$n(e, yo#m#st wor on the system!

Red beads were the result of a bad system; the Willing Workers were not the

problem. The system is the problem. Dr. Deming stated 94 percent of theproblems come from the system rather than the worker. Yet most efforts atimproement are aimed at the worker.

) *#$+%ty %s m$e $t the to&! *#$+%ty %s $n o#t(ome o" the system! To&m$n$-ement owns the system!

The systems deeloped by top mangers of an organi!ation hae far greaterimpact on the success of the organi!ation than the best efforts e"erted by WillingWorkers. The decision to produce white beads in the first place; the decision topurchase beads from a particular supplier; the decision to use rigid procedures;and the decision to rely on mass inspection # all these decisions made by topmanagement resulted in a system that contributed more than the Willing Workersto the waste$ the lack of %uality$ and to going out of business.

.) N#mer%($+ -o$+s $n &ro#(t%on st$n$rs ($n /e me$n%n-+ess! Then#m/er o" re /e$s &ro#(e %s eterm%ne /y the &ro(ess, not /y thest$n$r!

The production standard of three red beads per day was impossible to achiee.The Willing Workers could not affect the number of beads produced; meeting thestandard was beyond their control. The &'oice of the (ustomer&$ translated bymanagement into a goal of ) red beads or less$ had no effect on the number ofred or white beads produced. *o method was gien.

+en if the goal is &possible&$ there is little to be gained by announcing such agoal to the workforce. ,f the goal is based upon what you e"pect can happen$then -/ of the time you will come in better than the goal$ and -/ of the timeyou will come in worse 0and set yourself up for failure1. ,f you &pad& the goal toproide a margin for e"pected fluctuations in results$ then the goal probably is nolonger &challenging&.

,f higher %uality standards are re%uired # a lower defect rate$ for e"ample # thenthe production process must be improed to achiee the standard. 2anagementmust proide the method.

0) Rew$r%n- or n%sh%n- the %++%n- orers h$ no e""e(t on the o#t(ome!E2tr%ns%( mot%$t%on %s not e""e(t%e!

Rewarding or punishing the Willing Workers had no effect on red beadproduction. 3ear was not the answer.

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ll the red beads produced were an outcome of the system5s performance$ notthe indiidual Willing Workers. Yet the 3oreman gae bonus pay and put peopleon probation supposedly as rewards and punishment for performance. The3oreman was actually rewarding and punishing the performance of the process$not the Willing Workers.

6uality is achieed when workers hae &7oy in Their Work& # are motiated fromwithin 0intrinsic motiation1$ not by rewards or punishment.

3) e ($n #se st$t%st%(s to (re$te $ 4#$+%ty (ontro+ (h$rt $n +oo "or &ro/+em$re$s $n to &re%(t "#t#re &er"orm$n(e!

Deelopment of a 8tatistical rocess (ontrol 08(1 control chart with controllimits will show us if our production system is stable # working in a state ofcontrol. ,f the system is stable$ we can predict future performance with somecertainty.

The red bead production system turned out to be stable # all points within the

upper and lower control limits. The ariation and leel of output of the WillingWorkers$ under continuance of the same system$ were predictable. (osts werepredictable.

5) A "$#+ty %tem %s not $ s%-n$+ o" 6s&e(%$+6 ($#ses! A &ro(ess ($n /e st$/+e,%n7(ontro+ $n /e &ro#(%n- 188 &er(ent e"e(t%e %tems! 6De"e(ts6 $ree"%ne /y s&e(%"%($t%on, not /y &ro(ess!

The production system produced about : red beads or defects per run. Yet theentire process was working in a state of control. The red beads produced werenot a signal of special cause. The arying number of red beads produced in

each run was caused by random ariation # pure chance.

,t is wrong to assume that eery faulty item$ any failure$ and any problem is dueto special causes and that correctie action is re%uired. This type of thinkingresults in fire#fighting with no permanent improement achieed. We may rewardfire#fighters$ but most fire#fighters fall into the trap of being so caught up in thefire fighting that they allow other fires to start.

Defects may result from random ariation of a stable process that is capable ofachieing the re%uired specifications # an incapable process. We must improethe process to produce a product meeting specifications.

9) R%-% $n &re(%se &ro(e#res $re not s#""%(%ent to &ro#(e the es%re4#$+%ty!

The Willing Workers followed the procedures prescribed by the foreman.&rocedure compliance is mandatory.& Despite following rigid procedures$ %ualitywas not achieed. The Willing Workers had no chance to offer suggestions forprocess improement. Too many red beads were produced # the plant closeddown.

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The entire workforce must be engaged in process improement in order to helpget rid of the red beads$ to stay in business and to create more obs. +eryonehas an obligation to improe the system$ and thus to improe his ownperformance and eeryone else5s. The Willing Workers were ictims of theprocess. They could not$ under the rules laid down by the foreman$ improe theirperformance.

&

:) ;ee&%n- the &+$(e o&en w%th on+y the 6/est6 worers w$s $(t%n- on6s#&erst%t%o#s6 now+e-e!

2anagement acted on the outcome of the process itself. cting without cleareidence$ management belieed the &best& workers in the past would be the

&best& workers in the future. Differences in red bead production were due entirelyto the process$ not to differences in the Willing Workers.

&What is the purpose of management>& Dr. Deming asks. &*ot to play games butto use numbers so that we can predict the future.&


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The system consisted of the essels$ paddle$ red beads$ white beads$instructions and procedures. The enironment$ e%uipment$ materials andprocedures all contribute to ariation. The Willing Worker becomes part of thesystem subect to ariation. The WillingWorkers had put into the ob all that theyhad to offer. They could not$ under the circumstances$ do better. The ariation inperformance arises from the system itself$ not from the Willing Workers !

,n the Red ?ead +"periment Dr. Deming has purposefully eliminated the sourceof ariation that many think is always the dominant source@ that is$ the people.

The common wisdom is that if only people did not make so many mistakes$ therewould not be so many problems. ?ut een with the ariation contributed by thepeople reduced to !ero$ there are still too many red beads.

11) S+o-$ns, E2hort$t%ons $n Posters Are At Best =se+ess To The %++%n-orer!

2otiational posters had no effect on red bead production.

8logans like &Do it right the first time& are an insult. +"hortations and postersgenerate frustration and resentment. They adertise to the production workerthat management is unaware of barriers to pride of workmanship.

,f we hae set up our business correctly$ &it& will be done right the first time. ,nthat case the slogan is useless.

,f we did not set it up correctly$ there is nothing that the Willing Worker can do tomake it right the first time. ,f we didn5t set up the business properly$ a slogan

such as this will only frustrate the worker. ,f the worker tries to make changes$ hecan only make the result worse by tampering.

Tho#-hts "rom $ %++%n- orer n$me Ann! Willing Worker named nn$ after thee"periment on the Red ?eads came to a close$ e"pressed to Dr. Deming someproocatie thoughts. 8he wrote her thoughts down in the following letter@

When I was a Willing Worker on the Red Beads, I learned more than statisticaltheory. I knew that the system would not allow me to meet the goal, but I still feltthat I could. I wished to. I tried so hard. I felt responsibility: others depended onme. My logic and emotions conflicted, and I was frustrated. Logic said there

was no way to succeed. motion said that I could by trying.

!fter it was o"er, I thought about my own work situation. #ow often are people ina situation that they can not go"ern, but wish to do their best$ !nd people dotheir best. !nd after a while, what happens to their dri"e, their care, and theirdesire$

03rom The *ew +conomics by W. +dwards Deming1

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RED BEAD EXPERIMENT RESO=R>ES

From the M$ster?

1) O#t o" the >r%s%s,by W. +dwards Demingublished by the 2assachusetts ,nstitute of Technology$ :9AB(enter for danced +ngineering 8tudy$ (ambridge$ C:)9

) The New E(onom%(s For In#stry, @oernment, E#($t%on$ by W. +dwardsDeming.ublished by the 2assachusetts ,nstitute of Technology$ :99)(enter for danced +ngineering 8tudy$ (ambridge$ C:)9

A/o#t The Re Be$ E2&er%ment From Other So#r(es?

>D7ROM

1) Dr! ! Ew$rs Dem%n-? Best E""orts Are Not Eno#-h,nteractie 2ultimedia 8ymposia on (D#Roo&er$t%e? [email protected]

.) The Dem%n- E+e(tron%( Networ EB [email protected]

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http://www.deming.org/http://www.deming.org/


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0) S(r%&t "or Dr! Dem%n-'s Re Be$ E2&er%ment@http@HHwww.%uality.orgHt%mbbsHtools#techHredbeads.t"t

Boos %th Des(r%&t%ons o" The Re Be$ E2&er%ment?

1) Dem%n-'s Ro$ to >ont%n#$+ Im&roement, :99:$ by William W. 8cherkenbach

) Fo#r D$ys w%th Dr! Dem%n-, A Str$te-y "or Moern Methos o" M$n$-ement$:99-$ by William 7. at!ko and Daid 2. 8aunders

.) Dr! Dem%n-, The Amer%($n ho T$#-ht the C$&$nese A/o#t *#$+%ty$ :99$by Rafael guayo

0) The Dem%n- M$n$-ement Metho$ :9AB$ by 2ary Walton

3) The M$n ho D%s(oere *#$+%ty, How ! Ew$rs Dem%n- Bro#-ht the*#$+%ty Reo+#t%on to Amer%($ 7 The Stor%es o" For, Xero2 $n @M, :99$ by

ndrea Eabor

Other Pert%nent ors?

1) The ;eys to E2(e++en(e? The Story o" the Dem%n- Ph%+oso&hy$ :9AF$ by*ancy 2ann

) =nerst$n%n- $r%$t%on, The ;ey to M$n$-%n- >h$os$ :99)$ by Donald 7.Wheeler

.) The Le$er's H$n/oo$ :99A$ by eter 8choltes

0) Dem%n- M$n$-ement $t or, :99$ by 2ary Walton

8teen 8. reette 0)F)#9)F:1$ 3=$ steenIsIpreetteJrl.go

8teen 2. ?yers$ (=E$

currentlyWestern ,nstitutional Reiew ?oard 0)B1 C-C#C4AC sbyersJwirb.com

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Red Bead Lessons

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