ω3

The Process for doing a QFD1 Step 5

QFD 1 relates to the required properties of system of How INCOSEUK
interest to the required functionality. Correlation’s
Issue 1.0
Step 1 – Identify customer / stakeholder “WHATs”
and record any specified targets HOW July 2012

Step 2 – Translate customer / stakeholder wants into

measurable technical requirements
Step 2
QFD – Quality Function Deployment
(the “HOWs” (translating for action)
… a brief guide

CUSTOMER IMPORTANCE

Customer Competitive
S
Step 3 – Determine relationships

IP

Assessment
Summary

SH
between customer and technical
requirements WHAT

N
■ Quality Function Deployment is a particularly useful methodology to use whenever

O
TI
attempting to determine and analyse a set of requirements, especially to check for

LA

Step 6
The steps to build a any missing parts, and to integrate analysis of requirements and functionality

RE
‘House of Quality’ Step 1 Step 3 ■ QFD enables retention of customer focus, integrating the “Voice of the Customer(s)”
(mostly the WHATs ) into what the system is to do (the HOWs) in a structured and
traceable way
Step 4 – Determine targets for the technical HOW MUCH
Target Value ■ It is used to validate requirements – checking that the proposed means of meeting
requirements (traceable to customers needs) Step 4 requirements is complete
Step 5 – Identify requirements correlations / trade-offs Technical ■ It is a visual technique that shows the full traceability of every aspect of solution back
Competitive
Step 6 – Assess importance and competitive assessments Step 6 to stakeholder needs
Assessment
■ Used to support the development of requirements documentation and flow down
Importance
Weighting Step 5 ■ It can be used to prioritise aspects of the solution – and so generate Critical to Quality
(CTQ) definitions
This summary is based on material prepared by Richard Beasley of Rolls-Royce plc for INCOSE UK
one day event “Simple Systems Techniques That Work”, which in turn was based and derived from Tips / Dangers / Source
the training provided by Stuart Burge of Burge Hughes Walsh.
■ Do not overcomplicate it – too many rows and columns make it hard to do
■ Keep notes on rationale given for correlation or relationship – otherwise you will
This leaflet is intended as a working guide to Quality Function Deployment
struggle to update
This series of working guides is produced by members of the UK Chapter of INCOSE. ■ Expect a considerable number of blank cells
For further information, advice and links to helpful websites go to: www.incoseonline.org.uk ■ Don’t confuse correlations between HOWs with relationship between WHAT and HOW
Members can download copies of this leaflet and other Systems Engineering resources online at: ■ Don’t over-analyse / debate each relationship
www.incoseonline.org.uk ■ Be clear where received requirements go – customers may give functions / technical
For more information about the worldwide Systems Engineering professional community, go to: requirements as well as customer needs
www.incose.org

Series editor: hazel.woodcock@uk.ibm.com QFD is sometimes know as the “House of Quality”. This is due to the resemblance
Lead author: Richard Beasley (Rolls-Royce plc) (especially of the ‘How’ correlations, to a roof) of the diagram to a house.

© 2012 INCOSE UK Ltd The ‘House of Quality’ is the central construct of QFD and the elements included
should be tailored to your organisation.
ω3 Issue 1.0 July 2012 INCOSEUK QFD was conceived in Japan in the late 1960’s in response to challenges in the
manufacturing industry.
The Basic House of Quality
How
Matrix comparison of WHATs (customer needs) and Correlation’s
HOWs (technical design requirement, or function).
There is no `fixed` symbology but a standard
should be chosen. HOW
Use clear symbols in your QFD`s.
An example of symbols is below:
S
IP
Strong Symbol SH
WHAT N
Weak Symbol IN RELATIONSHIPS O
TI
Assessment

Medium Symbol A
L
Larger the Better
} For target values you can add RE
Customer Competitive

CUSTOMER IMPORTANCE
Smaller the Better indication of direction of
improvement (as additional “
Nominal the Best
The House(s) of Quality

room” and use these symbols HOW MUCH

Strong Negative
} Target Value
Negative
IN HOW CORRELATIOS Technical
Strong Positive Competitive
Positive Assessment
Importance
} Weighting

Flow from Customer Need to Production Requirements

■ QFD 2 relates the functionality to the physical elements of the solution

■ QFD 3 translates physical elements to the manufacturing requirements (helping to set out key tolerances making
solution robust to variation)
■ QFD 4 defines the control measures required in production to ensure customer quality (the WHATs are in QFD1)

QFD 1
QFD 2
Design QFD 3
Requirements Part
Requirements
QFD 4
Manufacturing
Requirements Production
Requirements
Design

Customer
Part

Requirements
Requirements
Requirements
Requirements
Manufacturing

Design
Requirements Part
Targets Requirements Manufacturing
Targets Requirements Production
Targets Requirements
Targets
Requiremen
ts Traceability

Decomposition Between System Levels

Functional
Functional Viewpoint
Functional
Viewpoint System Design
Viewpoint
Functional
Features Viewpoint
WHATs QFD 1
Targets

WHATs QFD 1 WHATs QFD 1

A new QFD
Targets
Targets

QFD 2 series for each WHATs QFD 1

How Well
Targets
Targets

“sub-system”
Functions

How Well How Well

How Well How Well

Continue QFD 3 and 4 for system Continue QFD 2-4 for each sub-system
and QFD 1-4 for components needed