The Backstop of the Deming Cycle
R Hallagan, Management Consultant, United States, Member
Tee, regarding your comment on your (natural) uncomfortableness with "the idea of of a wheel rolling uphill with a backstop,"
I think Deming is making an intentional, important point. When introducing improvements,
human nature is such that old practices and habits will quickly resume if you take your eye off the gains. Part of "securing improvement" is to stay with the gains until wholesale new habits have replaced old habits.
There is also an element of wisdom to
keeping guard against "Murphy's law".
