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W. Edwards Deming

W. Edwards Deming Quotes

Statistician

W. Edwards Deming was a renowned statistician and management consultant, best known for his contributions to quality management theory. He worked for the United States Navy during World War II and later promoted the concept of statistical process control (SPC). Deming's theories and methods had a profound impact on the manufacturing industries in Japan and other countries, widely regarded as a key factor in Japan's economic miracle.

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All Management Quality People Knows Should Customers Jobs Aim Improvement Needs Theory Ifs Important Products Problem Risk Risk Management Doe Helping Learning

Famous W. Edwards Deming Quotes

“We cannot rely on mass inspection to improve quality, though there are times when 100 percent inspection is necessary. As Harold S. Dodge said many years ago, 'You cannot inspect quality into a product.' The quality is there or it isn't by the time it's inspected.”

Years Said Quality Products Mass Percent Years Ago Rely Inspection Dodge

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“Part of America's industrial problems is the aim of its corporate managers. Most American executives think they are in the business to make money, rather than products or service. The Japanese corporate credo, on the other hand, is that a company should become the world's most efficient provider of whatever product and service it offers. Once it becomes the world leader and continues to offer good products, profits follow.”

Thinking World Should Problem Hands America Company Leader Products Offers Aim Profit Managers Making Money Corporate Executives Efficient World Leader Providers Credo

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“Foremost is the principle that the purpose of consumer research is to understand the customer's needs and wishes, and thus design product and service that will provide better living for him in the future. A second principle is that no one can guess the future loss of business from a dissatisfied customer.”

Needs Purpose Wish Loss Principles Design Products Research Customers Consumers Dissatisfied

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“You cannot inspect quality into the product; it is already there.”

Quality Products

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“The main difference between service and manufacturing is the service department doesn't know that they have a product.”

Knows Differences Products Management Department Manufacturing

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“The customer invents nothing. New products and new services come from the producer.”

Products Management Customers Producers Nothing New New Products

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“The source of innovation is freedom. All we have - new knowledge, invention - comes from freedom. Discoveries and new knowledge come from freedom. When somebody is responsible only to himself, [has] only himself to satisfy, then you'll have invention, new thought, now product, new design, new ideas.”

Ideas Design Products Source Discovery Innovation Responsible Invention New Ideas New Thought New Knowledge

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“The principles and methods for improvement are the same for service as for manufacturing. The actual application differs, of course, from one product to another, and from one type of service to another.”

Courses Principles Products Type Method Improvement Application Manufacturing

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“Does the customer invent new product or service? The customer generates nothing. No customer asked for electric lights. There was gas and gas mantles, which gave good light.”

Doe Light Products Customers Gas Electric New Products Electric Light

Author:W. Edwards Deming

“Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.”

Needs Firsts Quality Risk Achieve Building Products Mass Bases Management Cease Dependence Risk Management Inspection

Book:The Essential Deming: Leadership Principles from the Father of Quality

Source: The Essential Deming: Leadership Principles from the Father of Quality

“New product and new types of service are generated, not by asking the consumer, but by knowledge, imagination, innovation, risk, trial and error on the part of the producer, backed by enough capital to develop the product or service and to stay in business during the learn months of introduction.”

Enough Imagination Business Risk Products Type Months Innovation Asking Errors Trials Producers Consumers Introduction Trial And Error New Products

Author:W. Edwards Deming

About the Author

Born: October 14, 1900
Died: December 20, 1993
Known for: Statistician
Quotes: 229

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