Red Bead Experiment: Part 1

Interested in a free 25+ eBook on the 7 Wastes? Please DOWNLOAD HERE.

The Red Bead Experiment is a metaphor for problems, where the red beads represent “bad” and white represent “good”. It is a teaching tool mostly used in manufacturing or instruction in quality management. The Red Bead Experiment was created by Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the person who influenced Toyota who, later, would develop The Toyota Production System.

This post explains how to play the Red Bead Experiment, the Lessons Learned from the Red Bead Experiment, and how to facilitate the Red Bead Experiment. This post also contains a video tutorial of the Red Bead Experiment. This is Part 1 of 6 of the Red Bead Experiment.

How To Play The Red Bead Experiment

The Red Bead Experiment consist of a large bowl with white beads and red beads and a paddle. Each player draws the paddle full of beads. Here are the specific rules for the game:

• Objective: Produce white beads and avoid producing red beads (defects).
• Instructor: Plays the role of the manager.
• Quality Manager: This person counts the number of red beads after each draw.
• Controller: This person records the number of red beads as relayed by the Quality Manager.
• Workers: Have as many workers as you desire, but aim to keep the game to ~40 minutes.
• Rounds: Try to have several rounds, where a round is defined as each worker has had a turn to scoop the paddle into the bowl of beads. In each round, as the manager, play the following roles:
  • Round 1: Manager sets target for no more than 5 red beads. If violated, worker will have to work 2 hours overtime without pay.
  • Round 2: Manager introduces a bonus program where the worker that produces below 5 red beads will receive a $500.00 bonus.
  • Round 3: Manager is mean – yells, belittles, threatens, compares workers to each other, and has a big temper.
• Why the Rounds: The rounds are meant to show the futility of such management approaches of bonuses, threats, and other incentives. No matter what the motivational approach, producing fewer than 5 red beads is futile.

Red Bead Experiment – Data Analysis

After several rounds, the Controller should have a table that looks like the following:

The bottom row shows the average of red beads per worker per day.

The instructor can then use this data set to introduce the class to statistical process control, variation, common cause variation, special cause variation, and upper limits and lower limits.

Red Bead Experiment Video Tutorial

Below is a video tutorial of the Red Bead Experiment. This video is Part 1 of 6.

Red Bead Experiment – Lessons Learned

1. All variation comes from the process.
2. There was no evidence than any worker was better than the other.
3. The workers were doing their best, yet they were not improving – could not improve.
4. Intimidation, bullying, did not help the workers improve.
5. Monetary incentives did not help the workers improve.
6. All processes have natural variation.

Go To Part 2

search terms for this article:

Workers on the Red Beads, bead game multitasking, Instructions for Demings red bead game, demmings redball, process improvement games, quality edwards deming red bead video, red bead experiment analysis, Red Bead Experiment Deming, red bead experiment video, Red Bead experment Deming, red bead white bead theory, statistical process control games, the red bead experiment (deming library), the red bead experiment lessons, what does demings workers on the red beads mean, process improvement ball game, Lessons from Dr Deming, common cause variation, Deming experiment Toyata, Deming Red Ball Experiment, Deming red beads, deming\s red bead game, dr deming red ball expertment, experimente deming white reds, how to play the Red Bead game, how to replicate the red bed experiment, instructions red bead game deming, lean Bead Experiment, Analysis at RED BEADS experiment

Related Articles: