Cost Quote by W. Edwards Deming
“Failure of management to plan for the future and to foresee problems has brought about waste of manpower, of materials, of the machine-time, of all which raise the manufacturer's cost and price that the purchaser must pay”
About This Quote
Source Book: Out of the Crisis, W. Edwards Deming, 1982
Neglecting forward planning leads to inefficiencies and higher costs for producers and consumers alike.
In simple terms: Poor planning wastes resources and raises prices.
Key Takeaway
Plan ahead to reduce waste and cost.
Themes
planning
efficiency
cost
management
production
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
advisory
practical
When to use this quote
- manufacturing
- project management
- budgeting
- procurement
- strategic planning
Key Concepts
Systems thinking
continuous improvement
lean manufacturing
Questions to Reflect On
- How can organizations balance flexibility with long‑term planning?
- What metrics best reveal hidden inefficiencies?
A Different Perspective
Even with planning, unexpected disruptions can still cause waste.
![“[F]or women, like tradesmen, draw in the injudicious to buy their goods by the high value they themselves set upon them… They endeavor strongly to fix in the minds of their enamoratos their own high value, and then contrive as much as possible to make them believe that they have so many purchasers…” quote by Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/735/sarah-fielding-19151_believe_f-or-women-like-tradesmen-draw-in-the-in_987498.jpg)
![“[Photography is ] likewise even French impressionists. So the Sculls bought pop. It was politics, and they moved with it. And I think that could be happening, to some degree, with photography, too. It doesn't cost as much to do it, either.” quote by Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2eb/garry-winogrand-2342_cost_photography-is-likewise-even-french-impr_2802.jpg)
