5. Mistakes to avoid

5.1 Don't be dogmatic

The one-size-fits-all approach, a little flayed here, has done us a disservice, especially when applied dogmatically. New approaches to designing better quality management systems must avoid the mistakes of the past. Any model is only as good as its ability to explain the present and anticipate and control the future. Beauty, elegance or simplicity of description are subordinate to efficiency of operation. There should be no totems or taboos in the models imagined and the implementations tested, within the limits of reasoned risk-taking.