Quality Function Deployment

Quality Function Deployment – QFD is a method of customer-oriented product development, or rather customer-oriented quality management. In a nutshell, it is about converting customer wishes into concrete product features.

Customer wishes can be ascertained via the questioning of individual customers during personal interviews, through focus group discussions, and/or by using the Kano methodOpens in new window.

After finding out customer standards it is then necessary to engage in carrying these wishes over into concrete features. QFD furthers the attaining of this goal.

The origin of QFD can be traced back to Japan in the late sixties, where the Mitsubishi heavy industries shipyard in Kobe conceptually developed the procedure, and made it public for the first time (Akao, 1992, p. 13).

Today, the method is successfully being used by companies like AT&T Opens in new window, FordOpens in new window, General MotorsOpens in new window, Hewlett-PackardOpens in new window, Mercedes-BenzOpens in new window, SiemensOpens in new window, and VolkswagenOpens in new window (Klein, 1999, p. 10; Niemand; 1996, p. 43).