An Application of the Deming Management Method for Information Technology Projects

Abstract

Although the ideas and teachings of W. Edwards Deming have been implemented in organizations world-wide for over the past 50 years, only three studies have empirically tested a theoretical model grounded in the Deming Management Method. These studies focused on the manufacturing and services area. Today, quality management continues to be an area of interest both in project management and software engineering. The focus of this study is to test the Deming Management Method in information technology (IT) projects. A survey of 63 IT professionals provides empirical support for the Deming Management Method and its application to IT projects. A correlation analysis of the hypothesized relationships were all found to be positively and significantly related. Subsequently, it appears that there is strong support for applying the teachings and ideas of W. Edwards Deming to IT project quality management. While the correlation analysis provides support for the Deming Management Method, a descriptive statistical analysis provides some insight into how many of Deming's ideas and teachings are being applied explicitly or implicitly in the development of information systems. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]