Re: System vs Individual

[John Dowd <jsdwd@comcast.net>]

Hi,

Deming said that same thing (essentially) in many different ways on many
different occasions.  The number changed from 90% to 96% per cent for a
while.  Knowing him as I did, I can confidently say that he didn't just
throw out numbers and when he said 96% there was a specific idea in his head
why 96 and not, say, 97.  I don't know what those ideas were.

His point at being so high in the number was to put some distance between
himself and the 80/20 'rule' which he thought was not correct.

So there is no particular 'proper' quotation.  There are many.  And, it is
largely rhetorical but not just a number picked from thin air.

John Dowd
jsdwd@comcast.net
(Note email change if you are one who keeps up with such things)