248 Quotes by W. Edwards Deming

In 1945, the world was in a shambles. American companies had no competition. So nobody really thought much about quality. Why should they? The world bought everything America produced. It was a prescription for disaster.

In Japan, a company worker's position is secure. He is retrained for another job if his present job is eliminated by productivity improvement.

My mother was my biggest role model. She taught me to hate waste. We never wasted anything.

Experience by itself teaches nothing...Without theory, experience has no meaning. Without theory, one has no questions to ask. Hence without theory there is no learning.

It is not enough that top management commit themselves for life to quality and productivity. They must know what it is that they are committed to that is, what they must do. These obligations cannot be delegated. Support is not enough; action is required.