Well if we are talking about Quality than you should read the book. “Out of the Crisis” Dr. Deming.
He states that for years Americans have thought that Quality and Production don’t go hand in hand. You can have one or the other. Sounds like what that speaker was saying.
Deming goes on to say that true Quality will bring production. Mainly because of less re-work. Thus more production.
Quality really starts from the time a sheet of SS is brought in. If the way you lay it down cause it to be warped . It just goes on from there. The first time a Sony TV is turned on is when the consumer turns it on. They believe so much in there quality standards they know it will work.