Shewhart obtained his doctorate
and after a brief spell as an academic joined
the Western Electric Company. Western Electric
were hardware suppliers to Bell Telephone
who had already realized the importance
Shewhart formalized the concept of "assignable"
and "chance" causes (now usually
known as "common"
and "special" causes)
and introduced the control
chart in 1924.
Shewhart also developed his Learning and
Improvement Cycle of Plan,
Do, Study, Act (PDSA). Shewhart
was a mentor to Deming
who popularized the cycle as Plan, Do, Check,
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