Customer requirements chapter

The initial design is analysed using CA at a component level for their combined ability to achieve the important customer requirement, this being the tolerance of 0.2 mm for the plunger displacement. Only those characteristics involved in the tolerance stack are analysed. The worst case tolerance stack model is used as directed by the customer. This model assumes that each component tolerance is at its maximum or minimum limit and that the sum of these equals the assembly tolerance, given by equation 2.16 (see Chapter 3 for a detailed discussion on tolerance stack models) ... 

The special features and characteristics which the customer requires the product or service to exhibit, including life, reliability, durability, and maintainability (see Part 1 Chapter 1 for a list of other typical features and characteristics)... 

This chapter defines qnality as meeting consumer or customer requirements a product as such has no qnality, but it has physical properties reflected in attributes that can be perceived as qnality after consumption or use. Quality attributes can be defined as characteristics of a product or production process that are observable (by... 

Finally, all of the case chapters recognize customer centeredness as an imperative for successful organic growth. Each, to one degree or another, describes careful and detailed analysis of customer requirements as the primary consideration in the design of products, services, operations, supply chain dynamics, and customer support systems. 

Service level management has to ensure that customer requirements are understood and fulfilled, if necessary, through differentiated supply chain models and service level propositions (see also Chapter 21). 

The goal of this chapter is to provide the plastics color formulator with a basic system of gathering the information and materials necessary to produce colorant systems that meet customer requirements. The chapter will not be a discussion of specific colorant properties, as this subject is covered in other chapters. Instead, it will provide a method to aid in the correct selection of colorants and to create an acceptable match quickly. Getting the colorant system approved on the first submittal is always quicker and better than having to resubmit. 

Some countries, such as Finland, Norway and Sweden, require chemicals to be reported to commercial product inventories. (See also chapter by Kulkami and Nangle.) Furthermore, the appropriate national Customs requirements have to be fulfilled before chemicals can be imported. There may also be restrictions on the export of substances banned or restricted in the country of manufacture, because of the UN Prior Informed Consent programme [5]. 

This chapter outlines a complete design and process platform characterization methodology and the system for deployment. The underlying principle of this methodology is to provide a vehicle that struts with identification of customer requirements and ends only when the product has been delivered to a customer who is thoroughly delighted. 

The dimensions of this integration include understanding the implications of global demographic change on product demands and customer requirements. It also underscores the fact that diverse and inclusive teams often outperform homogeneous teams in terms of productivity and innovation (see Hayles, Chapter 2, this volume). 

It is notable that the CSCMP includes goods and services, plus related information, in its definition. It also takes note of customers requirements and the need to fulfill these. As noted in Chapter 1, some practitioners view logistics and supply chain as equivalent entities. 

These chapters discuss ways to embody strategic choices and customer requirements into supply chain design. The scope covers both existing products and services as well as new products and customers. It is based on the notion of the extended product. This concept maintains that, in the longer term, physical product features will be insufficient for competitiveness. Amenities associated with the supply chain will determine competitiveness. 

This chapter describes and applies a framework for developing the activities and associated processes for specialized supply chains. The boundaries of these supply chains can be defined by a company and its trading partners, or by a business within the business or sphere as described in Chapter 9. Chapter 11 describes how the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) technique supports the design of activity systems by gathering customer requirements. 

In designing its questionnaires, Acme took note of the differences in customer requirements between its traditional direct sales to OEM manufacturers and emerging sales through distributors. These represent business within the business or spheres as described in Section 6.6 and Chapter 9. For example, the need for Finished Goods Inventory could be more important to distributors with short response contractual commitments than to direct OEM sales. 

These criteria closely match Acme s objectives in developing its activity system in Chapter 10. Acme wanted to tailor its delivery system to the needs of multiple segments. Acme designed its systems around customer requirements after surveying these requirements as described in Chapter 11. Finally, Acme sought a system of linked activities, not just individual activities that would be difficult to imitate. 

Activities and measures based on customer requirements, as explained in Chapter 4, are very important in improving business performance. Bnt externally driven customer-based measures have to be matched by measures of what the company can do (feasibility, capacity, know how and resources) to consistently meet customer expectations. A high standard of customer performance derives from planning, processes and actions integrated across the whole organization. 

A concept developed by Wickham Skinner arguing that factories or parts of factories perform best if they are designed to fulfill customer requirements as efficiently as possible. The focused factory uses manufacturing capability to support strategies for competing. Chapter 26... 

A component of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) that enables a company to take account of the customers requirements in the design of a product or process. Chapter 8... 

The role of quality in reliability would seem obvious, and yet at times has been rather elusive. While it seems intuitively correct, it is difficult to measure. Since much of the equipment discussed in this book is built as a custom engineered product, the classic statistical methods do not readily apply. Even for the smaller, more standardized rotary units discussed in Chapter 4, the production runs are not high, keeping the sample size too small for a classical statistical analysis. Run adjustments are difficult if the run is complete before the data can be analyzed. However, modified methods have been developed that do provide useful statistical information. These data can be used to determine a machine tool s capability, which must be known for proper machine selection to match the required precision of a part. The information can also be used to test for continuous improvement in the work process. 

As stated in Chapter 1, ISO/TS 16949 harmonizes the quality system requirements of the automotive industry in the USA, Germany, France, and Italy. It does not contain all automotive quality system requirements. All participating organizations have customer-specific requirements in addition, which may be issued separately or included in individual contracts for the supply of products and services. 

Ensuring that the policy is relevant to the expectations and needs of the organization s customers is a little more difficult. Companies need to predict what their customer expectations and needs are (now a requirement in clause 4.1.4 under Business plans). They may be beyond what they specify in contracts although they may in fact be identical to such specifications. For companies to create satisfied customers they not only need to meet requirements specified by the customer but meet national and international legislation and have consideration for the needs and expectations of society. As explained in Part 1 Chapter 1 on Quality characteristics, customers are not only the buyers but comprise several other interested parties. You need to provide a means of determining what the customer expectations and needs are and then subject the written quality policy to a review against those expectations and needs to determine if there is any conflict. As part of your business planning procedure you should indicate how you determine your customer s current and future needs and expectations. 

Design input requirements may in fact be detailed in the contract. The customer may have drawn up a specification detailing the features and characteristics product or service needs to exhibit. (See Part 1 Chapter 1 on Quality characteristics and Part 2 Chapter 3 under Ensuring that the requirements are adequately defined and documented.) Alternatively, the customer needs may be stated in very basic terms for example ... 

Another interesting aspect of this requirement is that the implementation of changes is to include updates to all appropriate documents. This means that the impact of a customer change order on your internal documents needs to be evaluated and the corresponding changes made to all affected documents. This should be performed as part of the change review process (see later in this chapter). 

Even though you may not have designed or manufactured the purchased items, you have a responsibility to ensure that such items are fit for their purpose if you sell them on to your customer either directly or as part of another product, because you selected them. If your customer selected the products, they should be governed by the requirements on purchaser supplied product (see Part 2 Chapter 7). 

On occasions you may require a measurement capability that exceeds the known state of the art, such accuracy and precision that no available device can achieve. If under contract to a customer you should inform your customer of this situation so that you can negotiate the measures needed to develop the technology required. (See Part 2 Chapter 2 on Identifying new measurement capabilities.)... 

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