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In the past the man has been first; in the future the system must be first... The first object of any good system must be that of developing first class men.
— Frederick W. Taylor
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FW
Frederick W. Taylor
economist, management consultant, mechanical engineer, lecturer, writer, engineer
1856 – 1915
Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer. He was widely known for his methods to improve industrial efficiency. He was one of the first management consultants. In 1909, Taylor summed up his efficiency techniques in his book The Principles of Scientific Management which, in 2001, Fellows of the Academy of Management voted the most influential management book of the twentieth century. His pioneering work in applying engineering principles to the work done on the factory floor was instrumental in the creation and development of the branch of engineering that is now known as industrial engineering. Taylor made his name, and was most proud of his work, in scientific management; as a result, scientific management is sometimes referred to as Taylorism. However, he made his fortune patenting steel-process improvements.