According to Dr. Russell Ackoff, pioneer of systems design theory. "Discontinuous improvements are more important than continuous improvements" because creativity is a disruptive process. True quality focuses on value not efficiency. And to achieve quality it is essential to engineer a system as a whole, and not only improve its parts.
This viewpoint is different than the views of Dr. Edward Deming who professed a view of using continuous system feedback and continuous improvement to improve system quality incrementally.
Both views have merit in complementary circumstances.
Examples of complementary circumstances where Ackoff's and Deming's views both hold value include:
- Innovation vs. Optimization Phases in Product Development: Ackoff's Discontinuous Improvement: At the beginning of a product development cycle, companies often need bold, disruptive ideas to create novel products or solutions that redefine value for the customer. Deming's Continuous Improvement: Once a product is established, continuous feedback and incremental improvements ensure its quality, consistency, and alignment with customer needs.
- Strategic Transformation vs. Operational Stability: Ackoff's Approach: In times of major business transformation, such as adopting new business models or entering new markets, disruptive changes across systems and structures are often necessary to align with new strategic goals. Deming's Approach: During stable periods, continuous improvement practices maintain high operational standards, enhance efficiency, and prevent degradation of quality.
- Response to Market Shifts vs. Steady Market Conditions: Ackoff's Discontinuous Improvement: When a company faces significant market disruptions, such as new competitors or shifts in customer expectations, radical redesigns and systemic changes can be the key to competitiveness. Deming's Continuous Improvement: In steady market environments, iterative improvements can fine-tune operations, reducing costs and improving margins without the need for disruptive change.
- New Technology Integration vs. Existing Technology Optimization: Ackoff's Perspective: Implementing groundbreaking technologies or adopting entirely new platforms requires re-engineering systems as a whole, creating discontinuous shifts to capture full value. Deming's Perspective: With established technologies, gradual enhancements and quality control through continuous feedback improve efficiency and output without large-scale changes.
- Building vs. Maintaining Company Culture: Ackoff's View: When building or transforming a company culture to embrace innovation or customer-centric values, discontinuous improvements like structural changes and new leadership philosophies can set a new direction. Deming's View: In maintaining an existing culture, continuous feedback and improvement encourage a steady commitment to quality, reinforcing the established cultural values.
In each of these circumstances, Ackoff’s call for discontinuous change serves well when major shifts or creative solutions are needed, while Deming’s approach supports a stable and reliable improvement path, ensuring ongoing quality in well-defined systems. Together, they address the balance between innovation and efficiency, providing a broader approach to sustainable quality.
Technical Production Manager at Dolphin Connect | Quality and Process Optimization
2 个月Both approaches, despite their differences, can offer a complete cycle of innovation and improvement when used together: First, using Ackoff’s approach, new ideas, and structures are created to enable innovation and fundamental transformation. Then, applying Deming’s approach, these newly introduced ideas and structures are refined and stabilized over time. In reality, neither approach alone can fully meet an organization’s needs. Organizations sometimes require “creative leaps,” while at other times they need “incremental improvements.” The art of management lies in accurately identifying these situations and choosing the approach—or a combination of both—that best fits the circumstances.