Total Quality of Management

QUALITY FUNCTIONAL DEPLOYMENT (QFD)

QFD is a management-planning tool that translates customer requirements into

appropriate company requirements. The tool systematically unscrambles and

understands the voice of the customers (VoC). The information is then disseminated

across the organization in an integrated way to ensure built-in quality at each

interdependent stages for product or service development and delivery cycle—

the development stages include marketing, design, procurement, processing,

service, etc. Understanding VoC implies ascertaining the ‘un-stated’ requirements

such as those not stated explicitly, or taken as granted or not identified at the spec-

ification stage. The QFD tool resolves the apparent contradictions between the

requirements expressed by the customer and the tool also endeavours to find out

the factors that would delight the customers. The tool utilizes the expertise and

experience of relevant people involved in the process of designing, procuring raw

materials, producing, distributing and servicing the product. Even relevant peo-

ple from the supplier organizations are consulted. These steps ensure that that

there is no perceptible ‘gap’ in understanding the customer needs across the

organization. Dr Mizuno, professor emeritus of the Tokyo Institute of Technology,

developed the concept of Quality Function Deployment in the late 1960s. Over the

years QFD has evolved into a flexible tool to factor the needs of all stakeholders

into the design process. Figure 12.4 outlines the QFD principle.

QFD primarily utilizes a set of planning matrices in the different phases of the

product development cycle to ensure translation of customers’ need and expecta-

tion into the actual deed of delighting the customer. Besides the concerned people

within the company, people from supply and delivery chain entities are consulted

for their valuable inputs. Figures 12.5 and 12.6 outline the basic principles and

steps applied at each stage of QFD right up to final delivery.

It is important to get the design right in the first place since about eighty per

cent of the cost of a manufactured product is determined by the design. The other

twenty per cent is affected by post design changes and measures for process opti-

misation. No figures are available for services; however, a similar ratio can be

applied.

MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES 363

Specific Requirement

Customer

Expectation

Direction and actions in

terms of Engineering

Characteristics

Implied Expectations

Common

language

Deployment

through

Product Planning

Product Development

Procurement

Process Planning

Production planning

Production

Delivery

Service

Figure 12.4: Quality Functional Deployment (QFD) Tool

QFD utilises a specialized adaptation of a generic spreadsheet, which is often

referred to as the ‘house of quality’. The house of quality spreadsheet factors in

additional information, including competitive technical data, customer servicing

data, and so on. The objective of QFD is to translate customer expectations into

requirements, and then into directions in terms of operational characteristics for

concerned departments. Conflicting characteristics or requirements are identified

early on and resolved before production. Once understood, the matrices are not as

complex as they appear to be, they actually simplify the presentation and analysis

364 TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIC ENABLERS

Figure 12.5: An Outline of the Basic Stages of Quality Functional Deployment (QFD)

Figure 12.6: The steps involved in Quality Functional Deployment (QFD)

Delivery

Requirements

Design

Requirements

Design

Requirements

Customer

Requirements

Manufacturing

Requirements

Manufacturing

Requirements

Part

Characteristics

Part

Characteristic

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Phase I: Product planning, starting

with the voice of the customer

Phase IV: Product planning,

prototype and product launch

Phase II: Product development

Phase III: Process planning