In an ideal world all employees would be top notch, on their game every day, never making mistakes, but the real world isn't like that. If you want repeatable quality then it needs to be baked into the process.

It's a bit like Warren Buffet saying he only wants to invest in companies that could be run by an idiot, because one day they will be.

Edward Deming actually worked with both Toyota and Ford, perhaps more foundationally at Toyota, bringing his process-based-quality ideas to both. Toyota's management style is based around continuous process improvement, combined with the employee empowerment that you refer to.