S4 E1 - Adam Hawkins - Seeking Quality in the Digital Landscape

I have an enlightening conversation with Adam Hawkins in this episode. We dive deep into W. Edwards Deming's seminal perspectives on quality. 

Our dialogue explores how this expansive framing of quality requires connecting producers and consumers in a broader system. We relate these concepts to service level objectives (SLOs) and their role in quantifying acceptable loss balanced against keeping systems valuable. This leads us to the profound realization that quality is contextual, varying across different systems and business needs.

Among other topics, we touch on the intricacies of variation, Deming's red bead experiment, the challenges of measurement and pragmatism, bringing quality thinking into software, and the difficulty of conveying Deming's multifaceted ideas to novices. Our exchange centers on constructing shared mental models to apply Deming's deep knowledge in today's digital landscape.

Adam’s LinkedIn can be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hi-adam-hawkins/

Software Delivery in Small Batches Podcast:
https://smallbatches.fm/people/adam-hawkins

Precision, Accuracy, and Two Quality Questions: Unpacking a conversation between John Willis and Bill Bellows on Taguchi's approach to quality
https://softwarekaizen.substack.com/p/c83a7c05-d5b0-4cb3-93db-0e359108e3bb