W. Edwards Deming William Edwards Deming ( October 14 , 1900 -- December 20 , 1993 ) was an American engineer , statistician , professor , author , lecturer , and management consultant .
W. Edwards Deming William Edwards Deming ( October 14 , 1900 -- December 20 , 1993 ) was an American engineer who improved how companies manage making products . He was a statistician , professor , author , lecturer , and consultant .