“Without standards, there can be no improvement.”

“One must standardize, and thus stabilize the process, before continuous improvement can be made.”

Masaaki Imai (1930) Japanese business theorist and consultant

“If standard of living is your major objective, quality of life almost never improves, but if quality of life is your number one objective, your standard of living almost always improves.”

Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American motivational speaker

“Educational facilities will be extended and better standards of morality will be established. Political institutions, too, will be improved. In this way a backward nation can develop into a progressive state.”

Friedrich List (1789–1846) German economist with dual American citizenship

“to miik the citizens to the extent that they start mooing, is contrary to improving living standards.”

Jani Allan (1952) South African columnist and broadcaster

“In the phrase, "quality control" the word control represents a management tool with four steps:
a. Setting quality standards.
b. Appraising conformance to these standards.
c. Acting when the standards are exceeded.
d. Planning for improvements in the standards.”

Armand V. Feigenbaum (1922–2014) American businessman

“Through knowledge, you can develop the economy. Without knowledge, you cannot improve a society.”

Newton Lee American computer scientist

“It is impossible to improve any process until it is standardized. If the process is shifting from here to there, then any improvement will just be one more variation that is occasionally used and mostly ignored.”

Masaaki Imai (1930) Japanese business theorist and consultant

“People never improve unless they look to some standard or example higher and better than themselves.”

Tryon Edwards (1809–1894) American theologian

“Human institutions are inventions. They are devices to aid in the promotion of human welfare. They should be judged by the same standards of utility as agricultural implements and everything else. Whenever they can be made over to advantage, they should be made over. And whenever they can be rendered useless by something better to take their place, they should be sent without sighs or lamentations to the junkpile. Nothing is too sacred to he improved.”

J. Howard Moore (1862–1916)