"My job of contributing to the welfare of my fellow man is the great unfinished business." – Joseph Moses Juran
05 March 2008
Dr. Joseph Moses Juran must be credited with not only having revolutionised the way manufacturers looked at quality, he also helped Japan, devastated after WWII, to set global quality standards. Sourya Biswas looks into the life of one of the greatest thinkers of our time.
Amidst the entire din surrounding India's annual fiscal ritual and its aftermath, the demise of the man who, in many ways epitomized perfection, was quietly buried most publications in the country. We are talking of Joseph Moses Juran, the ''father of quality management'', who passed away on 28 February at the sprightly age of 103. Few would dare call a man more than a century old as sprightly, but in the context of Dr Juran it is entirely justified, active as he was till his last days, writing another treatise instructing businesses how to conduct their affairs. In many ways, his long life reflected the very credo of quality he so vigorously espoused.
Before embarking on a short journey of his long and illustrious life, it would be proper to inform our readers of Dr Juran's long association with Indian quality pioneer Suresh Lulla, founder of consulting firm Qimpro, who regards this quality legend as his life-long mentor. (See: Indian Quality improvement pioneer Qimpro turns 20) This article sheds more light on Dr. Juran's impact on Indian manufacturing.
The early years
Joseph Moses was born on Christmas Eve 1904 to a poor Jewish family in the Romanian town of Braila. His father Jakob, the village shoemaker, dreamt the ''American Dream'' and moved to the US in 1909, leaving his young family behind until he could earn enough to bring them in. Three years later he succeeded and the Juran clan set foot on America. Despite the new opportunities the new land of opportunity provided, times were tough and poverty prevailed.
As a youngster Joseph exhibited signs of his brilliance at a young age, and managed to outscore his peers in school, so much so that he was promoted out of turn and skipped four grade levels before graduation.
He then enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 1920, and passed out four years later with a degree in electrical engineering. He would later in his life earn a law degree as well. In college, he excelled not only in academics but also in chess, becoming the university champion and participating in inter-state competitions.
First taste of corporate life
After completing his first stint of formal education, Juran joined the Western Electric Co, the former manufacturing arm of Associated Telegraph & Telephones (AT&T), in the inspection department of its famed Hawthorne Labs. 1926 marked a turning point in young Juran's life, both personally and professionally. On the personal front, he married Sadie Shapiro, with whom he subsequently had four children and remained married for over 81 years until his death last week.
