When a product meets specifications but fails in customer satisfaction

Many product meet specifications but fail in customer satisfaction. It happens when the producer did not dig deeper to identify 'unspoken' true customer needs. Modern QFD tools are strongest where you want to make a difference by widening the gap between merely meeting product specifications vs. satisfying the customer. Start your new product development with modern QFD tools, to uncover unstated needs, the unknown unknowns and identify 'true' customer needs that should be the foundation for highly competitive products.

How reliable are reliability rankings? — A QFD and Kano perspective

What was once 'exciting' quality (such as mechanical quality) has shifted to expected (must-be) quality and now is now unspoken (invisible) quality in today's car market, according to a consumer report survey. What was completely unknown (Kano-neutral) in the 1970s, such as infotainment syncing, is now exciting (attractive) quality. At the same time, this too is rapidly falling to a desired quality. Quality is a moving target. Use modern QFD tools to identify unspoken, hidden true customer needs and priorities.

What is Infotainment System for developers?

Failing to translate Voice of Customer into "true" customer needs puts unnecessary blinders on your product development. Before selecting the solution, before getting locked in a particular technical direction, you must understand the operating environment and the tasks the user must be able to perform. Mimicking tablets in cars, for example, may not be the best solution since those interfaces were designed for other purposes and are not compatible with operating a motor vehicle.

Turning Fishbones into Wishbones

One of the most powerful quality tools is the well known “Fishbone Diagram.” It is a diagram that visually links characteristics and factors. In Modern QFD, the wishbone diagram is critical in two phases. First is in finding unspoken customer needs; second is in developing solutions to those needs. Master this, and it may be the fastest QFD you could ever wish for!

Can ISO 16355 improve healthcare? — Decision making in a complicated system

There are many ways that QFD, the core of the new ISO 16355 standard, can help healthcare and insurance providers. This newsletter focuses on how CUSTOMERS can apply QFD to select the best product for them — from the point of view of the healthcare recipient. Medicare, a uniquely American health insurance for people who are 65 years and older, is used as an example.

Comprehensive QFD Deployments—Are they necessary?

"Little did we appreciate at the start that Comprehensive QFD would allow us to evaluate the functional, performance, reliability, and cost parameters of our products," one tech firm marveled after attending the QFD Black Belt® training. In Comprehensive QFD, each type of “quality” (such as security, safety, reliability, etc.) is analyzed as a distinct “deployment”. Knowing proper organization of QFD information sets is essential to deliver meaningful results in your product/service development.

Gemba: The Key to Future Success

A Japanese car rental company was floored when they discovered, in a gemba survey, that a large percentage of their customers were using rented cars for not getting from point A to point B, but for secondary purposes such as taking naps, storing things, watching TV streaming, changing clothes for a party, etc. This uderscores the importance of QFD Gemba study to understand your customers and market. Gemba Study is also essential when developing a never-existed future product such as a Moon RV.

QFD for Digitalized Products and Services

As software / information system dramatically change the way traditional products/services are designed, produced, and operated, there's a great urgency to understand potential ramifications including data security, stakeholder’s right to information access, non-traditional supply/value chains, etc. Modern QFD offers tools to improve issues and explore new opportunities.