Red Bead Experiment

Introduction

Red Bead experiment is an experiment that is of good help and provides us with 14 points which can be used in every organization. The table gives examples both negative and positive that are deployed in health care.

Deming’s Point

Example from Video: RED BEAD GAME

Positive Example in Healthcare

Negative Example in Healthcare

1

Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service

Constancy of purpose is having long term thinking about healthcare system. For example, being able to push decision making in healthcare, being innovative and constantly improving design of services by allocating resources for long-term care provision.

Fretting about variation in quarterly profits and this may conflict with bonuses or appraisal of performance in health care management.

2

Adopt the new philosophy

Adopting the new economic age that is formed by Japan. The western management must arouse to the challenge, learn the errands and take on leadership that is of change so as to improve health care.

Health care services are too tolerant of poor workmanship and services. Most are focusing on the competition rather than the customer which is making it not survive.

3

Cease dependence on mass inspection

The want for inspecting on a mass basis should be eliminated by building first quality into the healthcare. Defects should be detected using both process feedback and customer feedback.

Inspecting products and services of health care at the end of the process is much expensive and it leads to unnecessary waste. Quality does not emerge from additional inspection but from improved process.

4

End the practice of awarding business on price tag alone

Moving toward a single provider for any one item on a long-term association that is full of trust and loyalty. Security of relationship that is long-term allows the health care managers to innovate.

Failing to minimize the total cost and significant measures of quality along with price. If the cost is not minimized, and one is not moving towards a single dealer for any one item, then a long term association of trust is not established.

5

Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service

Implementing the Deming Cycle is the center for continuous development i.e. “PLAN, DO, CHECK, and ACT” (Demise) and this can be used in healthcare to improve health of patients and the whole system of health care

Improvement is not an effort of one-time. Costs can rise if there is no continuous search of problems in every activity that a rises in health care.

6

Institute training

Modern methods of training including management are instituted to make better of every employee including nurses.

Most employees are taught by peers who fail to fully understand on what is going on in the system or have failed to figure out on their own.

7

Institute leadership

These include things such as people, machinery and gadgets in doing an enhanced job. Overhaul, there is need of supervision of management and also that of employees.

The tasks of supervisor is not to tell others on what to do or to punish them, but provide a clear vision for the future and give guidance to all workers in health care.

8

Drive out fear

Two-way effective communication should be established so as to compel out fear so as everybody work efficiently in a productive way for the health care organization.

Many workers are afraid to ask questions even when they don’t comprehend on what is right and wrong. Thus, it may lead to people continuously doing the wrong thing.

9

Break down barriers between staff areas

There should be team work for people in investigate, design and invention so as to foresee difficulties that are likely to arise.

Existence of silos between the departments with same goals often competes with one another and may lead to conflict thus does not act as a team and may cause trouble for each other. Barriers result to suboptimazition which Deming points out that it leads to inefficiency of health care.

10

Eliminate slogans

Slogans are valuable in jogging the memory on essential matters and thus help in greater harmony of thought and goals towards health care organization.

Slogans and exhortations for the workforce do not help anyone do a good job. People should be let to put their own slogans.

11

Eliminate numerical quotas

Leadership that is helpful should be substituted and statistical methods so as to improve quality and productivity.

Quotas does not take account of quality or methods, but take account only in numbers and this guarantee inefficiency and high cost.

12

Remove barriers to pride of workmanship

Accountability of directors must be altered from stressing sheer number to quality. Obstructions that rob people should be removed.

Misguided supervisors and use of materials that are defective may act as a barrier to people when they want to do a good job.

13

Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining

Both managers and workforce in health care need to be educated in the methods that is new such as teamwork and statistical systems.

Employment in health care should not be done basing on past records. People who are not improving should be set aside.

14

Take action to accomplish the transformation

In carrying out a quality mission, it will need a special senior management team of healthcare. No one should work on their own but with help of others.

Health care management are failing to know what they are committed to and what they must do. Failing to work by every member of healthcare in accomplishing the transformation

Reference

Deming Red Bead Game Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBW1_GhRKTA
Deming Red Bead Game Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik4PEY-XxTU

Deming Red Bead Game Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-xYf1F6KvI