Quality function deployment technique

Quality Function Deployment. Sometimes referred to as the House of Quahty, quahty function deployment (QFD) is a technique for translating the voice of the customer iato design requirements (19). This is a systematic approach identifyiag customer expectations and relating the expectations to product properties. The usage of QFD ia the chemical iadustry appears to be growing. QFD results ia chemical specifications optimized to assure the material is suitable for its iatended use and performs up to customer expectations. 

The basic tools for quality management are discussed in Chapter 5. Some additional tools such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) are discussed in this chapter. In addition, quality management systems such as ISO 9000, QS 9000, and systems based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) are explained in the first part of the chapter. In the second part of the chapter, techniques to improve quality throughout the entire supply chain are discussed. 

This subsectitHi addresses special issues in the problem definition stage of the design process. It then demonstrates how techniques such as quality function deployment can be applied to this field. 

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a technique to translate requirements — defined by customers — into specifications for a product or service. The tool is promoted as part of total quality and Six Sigma improvement efforts. QFD captures the voice of the customer and has application for supply chain processes, including physical flow, needed flexibility, extended product features, and new product introduction. QFD forces supply chain designers to consider customer needs important in design. This lowers the risk of leaving something out. 

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. 

The inclusion of external use/need knowledge is also one of the main issues of marketing science (Hauser et al. 2006), and remains a remarkable challenge for research and practice (Marketing Science Institute 2010). This task can be attributed to marketing research in organizations (McDaniel and Gates 2008). Many different methods have been developed to assess customer needs, which can be broadly divided Into quantitative (conjoint analysis, quality function deployment) and qualitative techniques (focus interviews, consumer workshops). All of these methods rely on the assumption that users or consumers have the ability to articulate or express their needs. Yet this is only possible for those needs, of which customers are aware themselves. Latent needs, which are crucial for the development of new product, cannot be acquired via these techniques, as they cannot be made explicit by users (Narver et al. 2004). 

The design of the fuel cell system really begins with the Voice of the Customer (VOC). For fuel cell systems, there can be many potential customers the end user, the OEM, or an intermediate service provider. In any case, by the voice of the customer is meant that quality expectation taken directly from the customer, properly evaluated, and deployed within the product development process. One such technique for doing this is the well-known Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process which, if properly used, enables the VOC to be deployed all the way to the factory floor. Without knowing and agreeing on the key customer requirements upfront, the fuel cell system design process cannot be successfully completed. 

The linkage between the above elements is represented diagrammatically in Figure 1.4. Design for Assembly (DFA) is one of the main tools and techniques prescribed by the PIM process. Other main tools and techniques currently specified include Quality Function Deployment (QFD) (1.29), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) (1.30), Design of Experiments (DOE) (1.31) and Conformability Analysis (CA) (1.32). 

Quality Function Deployment, a Technique of Design for Quality... 

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