Beginning in 2014, The Deming Institute has recorded podcasts on a monthly basis, featuring 20 to 30-minute interviews by
Tripp Babbitt with members of the Deming Community who are advancing the use and explanations of Dr. Deming's ideas. In our October podcast, TJ Gokcen, CEO of
Acquate, a software company in Sydney, Australia, shares his learning journey, from collegiate swimmer to software developer, ever in alignment with the Deming philosophy. For many, Dr. Deming was discovered in 1980 through the NBC television whitepaper,
If Japan Can, Why Can’t We. Throughout this documentary are tell-tale signs of a failing US economy, one heavily dependent on manufacturing, from the production of machine tools to the fabrication of automobiles. To no surprise, many of the earliest examples of the application of Dr. Deming’s management philosophy were in manufacturing. Meanwhile, attendees at his seminars who came from outside of manufacturing environments might have struggled to see the significance to their professions. Credit Dr. Deming with continuously striving to demonstrate the unlimited applicability of his management theory, ever mindful of the trap of having attendees see the statistical tools he presented as his core message. Credit TJ Gokcen with a simple, yet insightful explanation of how he has been applying Dr. Deming’s philosophy to both the design of the software developed by Acquate and the internal operation of Acquate. In this 30-minute episode, TJ skillfully guides listeners through the technical jargon of software development, from
agile to
scrum to
waterfall to
kanban techniques, and then proceeds to the heart of how he believes Acquate differentiates itself from other software companies. Using one of Dr. Deming’s favorite questions about “how to wash a table?,” TJ provides parallels for how his developers probe their clients, question after question, wanting to know more and more about “how will the software be used.” For those who wonder how Dr. Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge applies to software, this podcast will open minds and doors to amazing possibilities. For those who appreciate the wide applicability of Dr. Deming’s philosophy, this podcast will provide a brilliant reminder.
In Their Own Words