---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every piece of work in the shops moves…"
description: "\"Every piece of work in the shops moves. Save 10 steps a day for each of the 12,000 employees, and you will have saved 50 miles of wasted motion and mis..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg"
---

#  Every piece of work in the shops moves. Save 10 steps a…

![“Every piece of work in the shops moves. Save 10 steps a day for each of the 12,000 employees, and you will have saved 50 miles of wasted motion and misspent energy.” quote by Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg)

> “Every piece of work in the shops moves. Save 10 steps a day for each of the 12,000 employees, and you will have saved 50 miles of wasted motion and misspent energy.”

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Small daily savings per employee compound into massive reductions in waste and energy.

**In simple terms:** Saving a few steps each day saves huge mileage overall.

Key Takeaway

Implement incremental efficiencies for large impact.

Themes

efficiency productivity scale

Mood

pragmatic analytical

Type

business strategic

When to use this quote

- manufacturing
- office workflows
- logistics

Key Concepts

process optimization lean management resource conservation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you measure real savings accurately?
- What obstacles arise when scaling small efficiencies?

A Different Perspective

The estimate may be overly optimistic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/)

## Related quotes

> [I always wanted to just stay 10 steps ahead of everybody. It's just been like that my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/westside-gunn/i-always-wanted-to-just-stay-10-steps-ahead-of-everybody-it-s-just/)

[Westside Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/westside-gunn/)

> [“Always thing 10 steps ahead of your actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-guzman/always-thing-10-steps-ahead-of-your-actions/)

Joe Guzman

> [These 10 steps, if rigorously followed and enforced, will accomplish more in a matter of months than our politicians have accomplished on this issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/these-10-steps-if-rigorously-followed-and-enforced-will-accomplish/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [10 steps to self-care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majesty/10-steps-to-self-care/)

[Majesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majesty/)

> [The ruler should employ person in tasks according to their abilities because Knowers ( or the means ) and efficient employees make impossible tasks also possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-ruler-should-employ-person-in-tasks-according-to-their-abilities/)

[Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/)

> [John Shook's experience shows just how important problemsolving is at Toyota - it comes before any other job skill for the graduate intake. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-burns/john-shook-s-experience-shows-just-how-important-problemsolving-is-at/)

Martin Burns

> [You have to treat your employees like your customers. When you treat them right they will treat your outside customers right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/you-have-to-treat-your-employees-like-your-customers-when-you-treat/)

[Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/)

> [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/)

Buck McKeon

> [“Pizza as a reward at work, gotta love it. Personally, I'd rather have that than a raise. Give me a pizza, boss, and let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/pizza-as-a-reward-at-work-gotta-love-it-personally-i-d-rather-have/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [LEGO has announced that they are shutting down their U.S. factory and moving it to Canada. LEGO employees say it's their fault because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/lego-has-announced-that-they-are-shutting-down-their-u-s-factory-and/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [“Employment is an employee’s kissing of an employer’s ass. A salary is the employer’s pretense to be cleaning his ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/employment-is-an-employee-s-kissing-of-an-employer-s-ass-a-salary-is/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Work is a vehicle with which man chases some fleeting destination called a full tummy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/work-is-a-vehicle-with-which-man-chases-some-fleeting-destination/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/)

[Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

## More by Henry Ford

> [Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/enthusiasm-is-the-yeast-that-makes-your-hopes-shine-to-the-stars/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [These men of many nations must be taught American ways, the English language, and the right way to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/these-men-of-many-nations-must-be-taught-american-ways-the-english/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [People are as happy as they choose to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/people-are-as-happy-as-they-choose-to-be/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/quality-means-doing-it-right-when-no-one-is-looking/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [A man's college and university degrees mean nothing to me until I see what he is able to do with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/a-man-s-college-and-university-degrees-mean-nothing-to-me-until-i-see/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Don't find the fault, find the remedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/don-t-find-the-fault-find-the-remedy/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [A customer votes everyday with his dollar. Our job is make sure he votes for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/a-customer-votes-everyday-with-his-dollar-our-job-is-make-sure-he/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Our clothing, our food, our household furnishings - all could be much simpler than they now are and at the same time be better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/our-clothing-our-food-our-household-furnishings-all-could-be-much/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [The time is coming when man will be able to determine the length of his lifespan by controlling his diet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/the-time-is-coming-when-man-will-be-able-to-determine-the-length-of/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do. It's simple, fantasize, rehearse, then go out into the world and DO IT!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/you-can-t-build-a-reputation-on-what-you-re-going-to-do-it-s-simple/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [There is no man living that can not do more than he thinks he can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/there-is-no-man-living-that-can-not-do-more-than-he-thinks-he-can/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Without doubt, Thomas Edison is my greatest contemporary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/without-doubt-thomas-edison-is-my-greatest-contemporary/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [As long as we look to legislation to cure poverty or to abolish special privilege we are going to see poverty and special privilege…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/as-long-as-we-look-to-legislation-to-cure-poverty-or-to-abolish/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [The time will come when man will know even what is going on in the other planets and perhaps be able to visit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/the-time-will-come-when-man-will-know-even-what-is-going-on-in-the/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

[Explore all 517 Henry Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

## More Employee quotes

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/)

[Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/)

> [“Work is a vehicle with which man chases some fleeting destination called a full tummy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/work-is-a-vehicle-with-which-man-chases-some-fleeting-destination/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Employment is an employee’s kissing of an employer’s ass. A salary is the employer’s pretense to be cleaning his ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/employment-is-an-employee-s-kissing-of-an-employer-s-ass-a-salary-is/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [LEGO has announced that they are shutting down their U.S. factory and moving it to Canada. LEGO employees say it's their fault because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/lego-has-announced-that-they-are-shutting-down-their-u-s-factory-and/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [“Pizza as a reward at work, gotta love it. Personally, I'd rather have that than a raise. Give me a pizza, boss, and let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/pizza-as-a-reward-at-work-gotta-love-it-personally-i-d-rather-have/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/)

Buck McKeon

> [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [You have to treat your employees like your customers. When you treat them right they will treat your outside customers right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/you-have-to-treat-your-employees-like-your-customers-when-you-treat/)

[Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/)

> [John Shook's experience shows just how important problemsolving is at Toyota - it comes before any other job skill for the graduate intake. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-burns/john-shook-s-experience-shows-just-how-important-problemsolving-is-at/)

Martin Burns

> [The ruler should employ person in tasks according to their abilities because Knowers ( or the means ) and efficient employees make impossible tasks also possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-ruler-should-employ-person-in-tasks-according-to-their-abilities/)

[Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/)

> [The first major issue you need to consider when focusing on today's workers: You have to know what motivates them. If you think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/the-first-major-issue-you-need-to-consider-when-focusing-on-today-s/)

[Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/)

> [Recognition is powerful, as long as it's authentic and specific. Whatever their level on the inverted pyramid, employees wants to feel needed and valued.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-spector/recognition-is-powerful-as-long-as-it-s-authentic-and-specific/)

[Robert Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-spector/)

> [Failing to differentiate among employees — and holding on to bottom-tier performers — is actually the cruelest form of management there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/failing-to-differentiate-among-employees-and-holding-on-to-bottom/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [Our society has become an employee society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/our-society-has-become-an-employee-society/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

[Browse all 1,184 Employee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Every piece of work in the shops moves. Save 10 steps a day for each of the 12,000 employees, and you will have saved 50 miles of wasted motion and misspent energy.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry Ford"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-save-10-steps-a-day-for-each/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Employee"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-save-10-steps-a-day-for-each/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/henry-ford-492_employee_every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-s_1812124.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Every piece of work in the shops moves. Save 10 steps a day for each of the 12,000 employees, and you will…” — Henry Ford",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Henry Ford",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Every piece of work in the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-save-10-steps-a-day-for-each/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/every-piece-of-work-in-the-shops-moves-save-10-steps-a-day-for-each/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
