FICCI CE

Quality Function Deployment ( QFD )

FICCI CE

Quality Function Deployment ( QFD )

Business is usually started because their founders recognize a

customer need and believe that they can satisfy it better than other
companies. At the time of fresh start, the product may be unique to the
industry and have competitive advantages.
FICCI CE

QFD

No matter how effectively a company meets the initial needs of the

customers, it must remain constantly alert and responsive to the
changing needs of the customers. Because if the company is not
responsive to these changing needs, the passage of time will erode the
early competitive advantages.
FICCI CE

QFD

QFD is a scientific technique for translating the voice of the customer into
development of products and services. It is a complete product planning
process as opposed to problem solving and analysis. The technique was
invented by Akashi Fukuhara of Japan and first applied with very good
results at Toyota.
FICCI CE

Components of QFD Matrix

Technical
requirements

Relating customer Customer

Customer
requirements to competitive
requirements
technical requirementsassessment

Competitive technical assessment

Operational goals
FICCI CE

Step 1 : List customer requirements and rank

Importance
Customer Requirements on 10 point
scale

Very Important

Moderately Important

Slightly important
FICCI CE

Step 2 : List technical requirements to meet customer requirements

Technical Requirements
FICCI CE

Step 3 : Comparing product with the nearest competitor

Complaints
Customer competitive
evaluation on 5 point scale( 5 high , 1 low )

Rank
1 2 3 4 5 Action

Customer Requirements

Competitor product Our product

FICCI CE
Step 4 : Establish relationship between customer requirement
and technical requirements

Technical Requirements
Strong relation

Moderate relation

Weak relation

Rank
Customer Requirements
FICCI CE
QFD Matrix overview after step 4

Technical Requirements

Competitive evaluation

Rank
Customer Requirements
FICCI CE

Step 5 : Do competitive technical Assessment

Technical Requirements
Competitive evaluation

Rank
Customer Requirements

5
Competitive 4
Technical Competitor assessment
3
Assessment 2 Our assessment
1
FICCI CE
Step 6 : Mention operational targets or action points

Technical Requirements
Competitive evaluation

Customer Requirements Rank

Competitive
Technical
Assessment

Operational
New Product
Targets
FICCI CE

QFD - Customers Voice

The whole process of the QFD can be linked to GIGO ( Garbage in garbage
out ). This is because, if the voice of the customer has not been captured
properly, the final product will also not be the one actually desired by the
market place. It is therefore extremely important to capture the correct voice of
the customer before taking any other step in the QFD planning process. We will
explain this by the forthcoming example of new car development.
FICCI CE

New car development

A product development team wants to determine what the

customers want in a new car. After interviewing about 120 car
drivers, the team came out with the following chart of the
customer requirements :
FICCI CE
Desired product attributes in a new car
Requirement Rank
• Easy to drive 5
• Quiet riding , no squeaks or rattles 4.8
• Excellently finished 4.6
• Smooth riding even on rough road 4.5
• Excellent gas mileage 3.9
• Aerodynamic design 3.8
• Hugs the road 3.7
• Free from breakdowns 3.6
• Fast acceleration 3.5
• Virtually maintenance free 3.4
• Durable - will last 150000 miles 3.3
• Protects the driver and passenger in case of accident 3.2
• Classic styling 3
• Has instruments to read critical functions 2.2
• Has many electronic devises 2
• Has convertible roof 1.4
FICCI CE

Translating into technical requirements

The product development team is all set to translate the requirements of

the customer into technical requirements as per the QFD matrix.

Fallacy : The survey is based on aggregate data management and its

basic assumption is that there is one best answer for every one.
FICCI CE

Classification of needs
The product development team is asked by the CEO to classify the
needs of various drivers and then give it a rating instead of
proceeding simply with the aggregate data management. After
the market survey the product development team divided the
customer into two broad categories :-

1. The performance driver and

2. The practical driver

The team then came with the following findings -

FICCI CE
Two different profiles of desired product attributes

Performance driver
5 Practical driver
•Fast acceleration •Excellent gas mileage
•Aerodynamic design •Virtually maintenance free
•Hugs the road •Free from breakdowns

4 •Easy to drive
•Durable
•Easy to drive
•Quiet riding
•Excellently finished
•Smooth ride
•Quiet riding
•Protects driver
•Classic styling
•Excellently finished
•Smooth riding
3

•Free from breakdowns

•Excellent gas mileage
•Protects drivers
•Durable
•Many electronic devices
•Convertible roof
•Virtually maintenance free
•Many electronic devises
2 •Aerodynamic design
•Hugs the road
•Instruments to read functions
•Classic styling
•Convertible roof
•Fast acceleration

1
FICCI CE

New Car

The classification of the customer requirements clearly reveals

that the attribute which is most important for the
performance driver, is least important for the practical driver
and vice versa. A simple listing of the customer requirements
would have definitely ended up in the development of
incorrect product for the market. Reading the voice of the
customer is therefore the most critical and challenging aspect
of the whole QFD process.
FICCI CE

QFD - Conclusion

It is therefore very important that your organization is constantly looking

for the living customers instead of mythological ones created by
aggregate data management. Once the voice of the customer has been
properly captured, translating them into technical requirements should
not be much of a difficulty.