Quality does not just happen: it is built in. – The W. Edwards Deming Institute

Skip to content

Enriching society through the Deming philosophy.

Login
Donate Now

About Us
Our Work
DemingNEXT®
Learn
Theories & Teachings
About Dr. Deming
Get Involved
- Planned Giving
- Ways to Give
Search

Select a Topic

Quality does not just happen: it is built in.

Categories: Quality, System Thinking

Comments

page 27

Source

Deming, William Edwards. Sample Design in Business Research. United Kingdom, Wiley, 1990. Reprint. Originally published 1960

← Putting out fires is not improvement of the process. Neither is discovery and removal of a special cause detected by a point out of control. This only puts the process back to where it should have been in the first place.

Seminar Attendee Question: What do you propose we replace the merit system with?Dr. Deming: Replace it? You mean you want something to destroy people better than that does?!… You know of anything more effective in the distruction of people? Tell me!Seminar Attendee: Is there anyway to change the merit system?Dr. Deming: Change it? Abolish it for hell’s sake! Change hell, you don’t want to change, abolish it. →

Login
Donate Now

About Us
Our Work
DemingNEXT®
Learn
Theories & Teachings
About Dr. Deming
Get Involved
- Planned Giving
- Ways to Give
Search

SIGN UP NOW to receive the latest Deming news and insights.

Join our mailing list.

Remember Me

Lost your password?

About Us
Our Work
Theories & Teachings
Learn
About Dr. Deming
Get Involved
Login
Contact Us

FOLLOW US

CONTACT US

MAILING ADDRESS*
500 Westover Dr #32906
Sanford, NC 27330

PHONE:
(206) 395-3084

*To send a package, please request the proper shipping address using our contact form.

© 2026 The Deming Institute

Site Map Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions

×

Manage Cookie Consent

We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Functional Functional Always active

The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.

Preferences Preferences

The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.

Statistics Statistics

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

Marketing Marketing

The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.

Manage options
Manage services
Manage {vendor_count} vendors
Read more about these purposes

View preferences

{title}
{title}
{title}

Scroll to Top

Start typing and press enter to search

Search …

Start typing and press enter to search

Search …