Quality Function

Deployment(QFD)

Joseph Appianing
Dan Sheehan
Matt Casey
October 29,2008
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.

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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.

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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.

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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 engineers-competitors-

manufacturing

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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.

 Source:Tague,N.R(2005).The Quality Toolbox.2 nd Ed.

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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

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 Features of QFD
 Focuses on meeting market needs by using actual customer
statements (“Voice of the customer”)
- expectations
- requirements

 It requires Customer and top Management commitment

 Its effective application of multidisciplinary teamwork

-cross functional
-makes use of effective communication

 The use of a comprehensive matrix called (the “House of

Quality”) for
-documenting information

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 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

 Constraints
-investment in training & market research and use of key functional representatives
-makes high demands on already stretched personnel resources

 Clash of culture
-based upon Japanese management practices
-symptoms of conflicts may include poor internal communications between functions
-lack of management commitment to the process

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QFD-Sources of Information
An organization can collect data on customers via :
 Solicited- customer and market surveys
 Unsolicited- complaints or lawsuits
 Quantitative- use of statistical data
 Qualitative- interviews and observation
 Structured- interviews, surveys
 Random- vendors, suppliers
Figure 12-2 p.320

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Video
 Information sources

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QFD-Information Processing
 Using an Affinity diagram(chap.17)

 Is a useful tool when processing large

amount of data

 It organizes data into logical groupings

 Should not be used when data is simple or

prompt solution is needed

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Affinity Diagram Example

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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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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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Positives of QFD Process (cont.)
 More time spent on early stages = less
time spent on later stages (re-
designing).

In turn shortens overall time of process in

half

○ Better products in long run

 Savings

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Strategy Video
Links positives and negatives

In many firms, Strategyn’s approach is supplanting

VOC, QFD, and other methodologies as a best
practice for innovation.

 Enjoy

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Negatives of QFD Process (cont.)
 Initially expensive

 Initially time consuming

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 QFD is considered a key practice of
Design for Six Sigma.

 Also implicated in the new

ISO 9000:2000 standard which focuses
on customer satisfaction.

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Company examples

 Companies that follow QFD Process

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 What is QFD?

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 Planning used to fulfill customer
expectations.

 A tool used to translate customer

requirements

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 What is the purpose of QFD?

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 Improve quality

 Reduce manufacturing costs

 Increase organizations capabilities

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 What are the features of QFD?

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 Customer focus

 Effective use of cross functional teams

 Use of House of Quality

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 What are the benefits of QFD?

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 Improve customer satisfaction

 Reduce implementation time

 Promotes teamwork

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 What are some problems of QFD?

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 Confusion in defining customer requisites

 Initial investment (time and $)

 Clash of cultures

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 What is the purpose of Phase I (product
planning)?

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 Links user requirements to product
attributes.

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 What is the purpose of Phase II (part
development)?

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 Translate technical requirements to key
part characteristics or systems.

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 What is the purpose of Phase III (process
planning)?

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 Identify key process operations necessary
to achieve key part characteristics.

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 What is the purpose of phase IV (process
planning)?

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 Defines quality control steps to follow

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House of Quality
 “The house of
quality is the most
popular QFD matrix”
 Russell, R. S. and
Taylor III, B. W.
(2006)

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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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The House
-Called a house because it
looks like a house
-Which characteristics
resemble a house?

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7 Steps

1. List Customer Requirements (WHATs)

2. List Technical Descriptors (HOWs)

3. Develop a Relationship Matrix between WHATs and

HOWs

4. Develop the Interrelationship Matrix between HOWs

5. Competitive Assessment

6. Develop Prioritized Customer Requirements

7. Develop Prioritized Technical Descriptors

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Step 1 - List Customer Requirements
(WHATs)
 Problem- Current and future customer needs are not
adequately understood.

 Solution - Voice of the customer

 Will list customer requirements and expectations
○ Primary factors – broad
○ Secondary factors - narrow

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Step 2 -
List Technical Descriptors
(HOWs)
 Problem - The competitive situation is not
understood nor adequately considered.

Solution - Perform competitive analysis.

Lists materials, processes and ect to identify
what is needed to meet customer requirements
○ Primary
○ Secondary

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Step 3 - Develop a Relationship
Matrix between WHATs and
HOWs
 Problem - Inadequate attention is paid to developing a product
strategy and value proposition.

 Solution - Develop the product strategy and value

proposition.
 Identifies the strength of relationship between customer
requirements and technical descriptors
○ +9 Strong (●)
○ +3 Medium (○)
○ +1 Weak (Δ)
○ 0 Not Applicable (Nothing)

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Step 4 - Develop the Interrelationship
Matrix between HOWs

 Problem - Product requirements and specifications are not

carefully balanced against needs and implications.

 Solution - Rigorous consideration of a variety of factors in

objectively developing requirements and specifications.

 Identify areas in your process where technical issues may

conflict or be tough.
○ +9 Strong Positive (●)
○ +3 Positive (○)
○ -3 Negative (x)
○ -9 Strong Negative (*)

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Step 5- Competitive Assessment
 Problem - Insufficient attention is given to developing
collaboration and teamwork.

 Solution - The initial product planning with QFD leads to

rapidly developing collaboration, teamwork, and
commitment to the product strategy and plan.
 Rank your company’s ability to meet customer
requirements (WHAT’s) on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 worst – 5
best)
 Rank your technical descriptors (HOW’s) on a scale of 1
to 5 (1 worst – 5 best)
 These rankings are then compared to competitors by
ranking their ability to meet customer requirements and
technical descriptors on a scale of 1 to 5.

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Step 6 - Develop Prioritized Customer
Requirements
 Problem - In a rush to develop a new product, inadequate
attention is given to developing and evaluating concept
alternatives.

 Solution - Identify a more optimal, and perhaps even a

break-through solution rather than continuing with the
traditional concept used for past products.

 Can Identify:
○ Importance of a customer requirement (1 to 10)
○ Target Value – where the company wants to be (1 to 5)
○ Scale-up factor – how many points are necessary to
meet the target value

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Step 7 -Develop Prioritized Technical
Descriptors
 Problem - Critical characteristics, process requirements
and quality controls are not effectively linked.

 Solution - Alignment and commitment throughout the

process and avoids some of the last minute quality
problems that occur during launch.

 Can identify:
○ Degree of difficulty of a technical descriptor (1 to 10)
○ Target value – where the company wants to be (1 to 5)

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7 Steps

1. List Customer Requirements (WHATs)

2. List Technical Descriptors (HOWs)

3. Develop a Relationship Matrix between WHATs and

HOWs

4. Develop the Interrelationship Matrix between HOWs

5. Competitive Assessment

6. Develop Prioritized Customer Requirements

7. Develop Prioritized Technical Descriptors

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Activity

Build your own house

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Source

http://www.npd-solutions.com/whyqfd.html

 http://www.public.iastate.edu/~vardeman
/IE361/f01mini/johnson.pdf

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