Profiling V/s standardization

[rich apollo]

I am sorry but this is really a dumb quote that I see all the time. I don't think Deming would agree with such a quote.

Maybe not since "you can't manage what you don't measure" is actually attributed to Peter Drucker.

[Erik Nikkanen]

Maybe not since "you can't manage what you don't measure" is actually attributed to Peter Drucker.

It still is dumb in the context that people usually use it. It is as if measuring something will correct the problem.

I would agree that measuring something to see if there is an improvement is part of the management process but it is not so useful as a control method.

What bothers me is that this statement makes people think they should develop complicated methods to measure processes instead of making the processes more capable, which would then not require so much effort and need to take measurements.

Of course Drucker is well respected and he also was very much interested in innovation as being one of the prime requirements of businesses. He said, "Because the purpose of a company is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two - and only two - basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs."

I would not tend to argue with Drucker. After all, in german drucker means "printer" or "press".
:-)