The field of quality management lost one of its pioneers over the weekend as Joseph Juran died at age 103. Referred to as the "father" of modern day quality management, Juran was born in Braila, Romania in 1904 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1912.
He wrote the landmark Quality Control Handbook in 1951 which is now in its sixth edition.
Juran created the Pareto principle in 1937, also known as the 80-20 rule, which states that 80% of consequences stem from 20% of causes. This principle has been applied by millions of managers who rely on it to help separate the "vital few" from the "useful many."
His book, Managerial Breakthrough, first published in 1964, was the first to describe an improvement process that has evolved into Lean and Six Sigma, manufacturing standards.
In 1979 he founded the Juran Institute, a training and consulting firm in Southbury, Conn. and in 1986 he published the Juran Trilogy which has been accepted at the basis for quality management. The trilogy is comprised of three management processes; quality control, quality improvement and quality planning.
For information about the Juran Institute visit www.juran.com
