Quality Function Deployment(QFD)

DIPTENDU BASU EXECUTIVE MBA (2012-14) PRN NO - 001

Technical Story
Imagine that two engineers within the same company are working on two different components of a car sunroof simultaneously but separately. The insulation and sealing engineer develops a new seal that will keep out rain, even during blinding rainstorm . The handles, knobs, and levers engineer is working on a simpler lever that will make the roof easier to open.

Technical Story-cont.

The new lever is tested and works well with the old seal. Neither engineer is aware of the activities of the other .As it turns out, the combination of heavier roof (due to the increased insulation) and lighter lever means that the driver can no longer open the sunroof with one hand Hopefully, the problem will be detected in prototype testing before the car is put into production. At that point, one or both components will need to be redesigned. Otherwise, cars already produced will need to be reworked and cars already sold will have to be recalled. None of these alternatives is pleasant and they all involve considerable cost. Could such problems be avoided if engineers worked in teams and shared information? Probably not! Even in design teams, there is no guarantee that all decisions will be coordinated.

Technical Story-cont.

A formal method is thus needed for making sure that everyone working on a design project knows the design objectives and aware of the interrelationships of the various parts of the design. Similar communications are needed between the customer and marketing, between marketing and engineering, between engineering and production, and between production and the worker In a nutshell, a structured process is needed that will translate the voice of the customer to technical requirements at every stage of design and manufacture. Such a process is called Quality Function Deployment.

QFD-A Brief History

Originally developed in Japan in the late 1960s by -Dr Shigeru Mizuno -Yoji Akao
Now widely used not only in Japan but in Europe and the US This was in response to the growing success of the Japanese industry during the 1970s
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QFD-Definition

A planning tool used to fulfill customer expectations A tool used to translate customer requirements to engineering specifications Is a link between customers-design engineerscompetitors-manufacturing

Definition-cont.

A structured process for planning the design of a new product or service or for redesigning an existing one. It emphasizes thoroughly understanding what the customer wants or needs. Then those customer wants are translated into characteristics of the product or service. Finally, those characteristics are translated into details about the processes within the organization that will generate the product or service.

QFD-PURPOSE

Regarded as an important tool to: -improve quality -reduce manufacturing costs -increase organization capabilities -to make the organization more competitive - develop products that better fulfills users needs

Benefits of QFD

Improves customer satisfaction - defines requirements into basic needs

- fewer customer complaints

Reduces implementation time

- reduction in design changes

- expensive corrections and redesigns are eliminated

Promotes teamwork -inputs are required from all facets of an organization Provides documentation

-database serves as a valuable source for future designs

Increases in market share
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QFD-Some Problems

Misinterpretation
-mistaking product characteristics for customer requirements

-often the answers given by customers are difficult to classify as needs

Time and resource

often seen as additional workload -costly, the planning stage may take longer
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Constraints
-investment in training & market research and use of key functional representatives -makes high demands on already stretched personnel resources

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QFD Process

Phase I- Product Planning Phase II- Part Development Phase III- Process Planning

Phase IV- Production Planning

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A Series of Connected QFD Houses

Product characteristics Customer requirements

A-1
Product characteristics

Part characteristics

Process planning

Process characteristics

Parts development

Part characteristics

Product planning

A-2

Process characteristics

A-3

Operations

A-4
Operating Planning

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Phase I- Product Planning (House of Quality)

Translate customer requirement into product technical requirements to meet their needs.
Links user requirements to product attributes.

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Phase II- Part Development

Translate technical requirements to key part characteristics or systems.

Subsystems broken down into critical part characteristics

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Phase III- Process Planning

Identify key process operations necessary to achieve key part characteristics.

Relates single subsystems with production processes (critical step)

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Phase IV- Production Planning (Process Control)

Establish process control plans, maintenance plans, training plans to control operations.
Define quality control steps to follow.

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QFD
Goal

The house of quality is used as a tool to meet customer demands and understand customer requirements
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EXAMPLE
MAKE A QFD FOR AN ELECTRIC IRON

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House of Quality
Importance 5

Trade-off matrix
3 Design characteristics

1 Customer requirements

4 Relationship matrix

2 Competitive assessment

Target values

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Competitive Assessment of Customer Requirements

Competitive Assessment Customer Requirements Presses quickly 9 1 2 B A 3 X 4 5

Removes wrinkles
Irons well Doesnt stick to fabric Provides enough steam Doesnt spot fabric Doesnt scorch fabric Heats quickly Easy and safe to use Automatic shut-off Quick cool-down Doesnt break when dropped

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6 8 6 9 6 3 3 5

AB
X AB X AB A XB X X AB B A B

X
BA X

A ABX X A B

Doesnt burn when touched

Not too heavy
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5
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AB X
X

From Customer Requirements to Design CharacteristicsRequirements Customer

Presses quickly
Removes wrinkles Irons well Doesnt stick to fabric Provides enough steam Doesnt spot fabric Doesnt scorch fabric Heats quickly Easy and safe to use Automatic shut-off Quick cool-down

Protective cover for soleplate

Time required to reach 450 F

Time to go from 450 to 100

Material used in soleplate

Flow of water from holes

Energy needed to press

Thickness of soleplate

- + + +
+ + + + - + + + + + + + + + + + + -

+ +

+ - + + + +

Doesnt break when dropped

Doesnt burn when touched Not too heavy
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+ + +
+ - +

+
+ + + -

Automatic shutoff

Number of holes

Size of soleplate

Weight of iron

Size of holes

Completed House of Quality

SS = Silverstone MG = Mirorrglide T = Titanium

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THANK YOU

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