The Quality Function Deployment Process – House of Quality

by Doug Sutton

* Turning the customer’s desires into engineering specifications!

QFD?–Where Are We Headed?

• Turn Design Qualities into Design Specs.

• Prioritize Design Features

• Assess the Competition

• Produce a House of Quality –

The Quality Function Deployment Process

1. Identify the Customer(s)2. Determine Customer Requirements/Constraints3. Prioritize each requirement4. Competitive Benchmarking5. Translate Customer Requirements into

Measurable Engineering specifications6. Set Target values for each Engineering

Specification

OK, Let’s Walk Through A Simple Example

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Customer Request:

There is too much damage to bumpers in low-speed collisions. Customer wants a better bumper.

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Step 1: Identify Customer(s)– Repair Department– Automobile Owner– Manufacturing Plant– Sales Force

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Step 2: Determine Customer Requirements/Constraints– I want something that looks nice (basic)– It must hold my license plate (performance)– I want it strong enough not to dent (excitement)– It must protect my tail-lights and head-lights

(performance)– I don’t want to pay too much (basic)

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Step 3: Prioritize Customer Requirements

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Put prioritized Customer Requirements into a House of Quality Chart

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Step 4: Competition Benchmarking– Identify Competitors– Test and Analyze Competitor Products– Reverse Engineer Competitor Products– Rate Competitor Products against customer

requirements/constraints

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Put competitive benchmarking information into

House of Quality Chart

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper

Steps 5 and 6: Translate Customer Requirements into Measurable Engineering Specifications and define target values– Specify how license plate will be held– Specify how to resist dents through material

yield strength, young's modulus, etc.– Specify with a dollar amount the term

‘inexpensive’

QFD ExampleAn Automobile Bumper