This presentation will move from the 1600’s with Galileo and the philosophy of science
through the evolution of the scientific method and the science of improvement. Walter
Shewhart in 1939 applied the scientific method with his cycle: specification-production-
inspection. W. Edwards Deming in 1950 modified the Shewhart cycle: design of the
product, make it, put it on the market, test it through market research, then redesign the
product.” From these early beginnings the API Model for Improvement evolved and Quality
as a Business Strategy (QBS). Ron Moen and Cliff Norman will discuss the this evolution
and the connections to those whose shoulders we are standing upon.
Evolution of the Science of Improvement