Photo by Diego José on Unsplash
What is a Body of Knowledge?
Part of a Business Operational Value is their Body of Knowledge (BOK).
“The concept of body of knowledge refers to a specific area of knowledge … systematically organized and recognized within a particular field or discipline… collective knowledge and expertise … accumulated over time through research, study, and practical experience.” (Ref.)
One of the early Bodies of Knowledge (BOK) was collected at the Library at Alexandria, Egypt established under the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE). Ptolemaic rulers translated and archived works on science, philosophy, and literature to create a hub for global translation and scientific advancement. (Ref.) When the Christian Church split following the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 A.D.) heated debates about theology raged in Alexandria. To destroy the ancient BOK that challenged Patriarch Theophilus “world view” theology, he led an angry mob to the library to destroy the documents (books). What documents left were burned by the Muslims in a few hundred years. Between, documents were moved to “private libraries”, reportedly such as those in Rome.
Business, Innovation and Manufacturing BOK
A more recent disappearing BOK’s is that of W. Edward Deming. There was no library to pillage or burn in this case, it happened quietly.
Dr. W. Edwards Deming (EE and PhD) revolutionized business management practices, after WWII. Deming was an electrical engineer who taught statistical product quality to the American defense industry during WWII, helped the Japanese revolutionize their industries after the war – the emperor awarded him a medal- and was rediscovered by the American automotive industry, setting the stage for all management systems. An U.S. President awarded him a medal. Deming was called the father of the third wave of the Industrial Revolution. Learn More.
Deming provided a foundation for best business practices, including The Toyota Way and the excellence of US innovators and manufacturing companies, including Ford Motor Company and Boeing. Both Chrysler and Boeing rejected Deming’s help and comprehensive teachings. Deming’s approach was based on Process Engineering. Toyota adopted Deming philosophy and practices in mid 1960s. In 1965 Toyota won the prestigious Deming Prize.
Today, few know of Deming. The foundational systems, infrastructure, processes, etc. required for a successful business, particularly in design and manufacturing, are missing in the majority of small, medium and large businesses. Bits and pieces of Deming are found, including KPIs, Lean, Statistical Process Control, theory of constraints, but not the comprehensive systems that made U.S. businesses great up until the mid-1990s. Business leaders may not know what is missing, as they never learned what was needed.
Image courtesy of Dave Nave
Deming passed away in 1993. Up until the late 1990s, The W. Edwards Deming Institute was prestigious and going strong. Academic chairs of Deming schools of business were named, and businesses coveted Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers and American Society for Quality Deming awards for excellence.
President Clinton took over the White House in 1993 and was elected again in 1996. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act was signed into law by President Clinton on December 8, 1993. Offshoring of manufacturing, engineering and more began and accelerated through the following administrations, no matter the political party. Quality and delivery worsened, planned obsolesces manufacturing increased, variety and choices dwindled, and risk accelerated.
The Deming chairs in higher education faded from the spotlight. Broken into its pieces, the Deming BOK lost its ump and important elements were lost. Deming’s prestigious faded and as did the memory of U.S. excellence in innovation, engineering, and manufacturing.
The 2024- 2025 Boeing quality incidents attest to this fact. Learn More.
Other BOK’s Impacting Businesses- Innovation and Manufacturing
Dave Nave proposes that the downward trend in the U.S. can be traced to the post-WWII period. When the U.S was the world’s main producer of goods, businesses and received the resulting financial rewards. Post WWII, the economic driver shifted from the ability to produce quality products to the use of financial information to control business activities.
In the past 25-30 years and longer, the U.S. has experienced a rapid degradation and disappearance of many BOKs, and the institutions and infrastructure housing them. These BOKS include Philosophical and Theological Societies, Classical Humanities Education, Libraries (containing BOK books) . Disappearance happened so gradually, without noise or fanfare, no one noticed, until now.
Perhaps these BOK’s including Deming’s teachings, were purposely lost in order to further deteriorate innovation and manufacturing in the U.S., replacing America’s independence with Globalization. It seems to have gone that way. Deming was an inconvenient truth that needed to be removed and replaced with offshoring and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Artificial Intelligence
Photo by Boston Public Library on Unsplash
Michael Ashley Forbes Columnist and AI expert, writes of the “Death of Public Intellect”. His article describes the outcome of AI, referring to Neil Postman’s “Entertaining Ourselves to Death,” description of how the U.S. used to be a mostly %100 literate nation, without the Department of Education. People were educated because they read books.
Inspired authors write books that often become a BOK. If the book with the BOK is only on a remote server somewhere, who knows where, and maintained, by who knows who, what happens? You receive what the purveyor of the laboratory/ library wants you to have, same for business.
Evidence of Disappearing Deming BOK
The Estate Planning Council estimates that 80% of U.S. businesses will not sell or transition, but close. Some root causes of this sad fact include the Disappearing Deming BOK, whether the company is 5 or 305 people or more.
Disappearing Deming BOK is evident in friction and misalignment in Systems, Processes, and People that drain the bottom line and restrict forward motion. It is also clearly visible in a lack of
- Systems dynamics thinking and tactical planning to support strategy,
- Defined, documented processes in the form of Standard Work Procedures,
- Employee development and training and therefore Workforce turnover, and
- Appropriate and comprehensive use of statistics, including KPIs.
From a practical level, I noticed this disappearing company BOK for about 22 years. On the front lines working with design, engineering and manufacturing and many other types of businesses, it is apparent by the lack of these foundational systems and processes. Approximately 95% of the businesses I and my colleagues work with lack more than one of these Deming basics.
Rebuilding the Foundation and Business BOK
Without the BOK that made American Businesses, Innovation and Manufacturing great, how can the company succeed? Yet, it is easy to build or rebuild this foundation to greatness and success.
Surprisingly it takes a very short time, because there is so much low-lying fruit, and the same fruit (and gold) in multiple departments or functions.
Let’s get started; it is high time and never too late to create a solid foundation to accelerate growth and prosperity.
Actions creating value takes awareness and discipline. “The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago and the next best time is now.” Source unknown.
Contact Debra Mervyn (Debra@MervynGroup.com) to learn more.
