Quality Function Deployment

How can you make sure that your products are designed to meet customer needs? How do you ensure that the customer gets exactly the functions he requires, not more and not less? And are you certain that this gives you a competitive edge?

Quality function deployment (QFD) supports the development of product concepts where current customer requirements play a key role. The method enables the technical specifications of the product under development to be derived (product concept). Customer requirements are carefully considered and competitors systematically compared, thus enabling the unique features and competitive advantages of a product to be identified. By gearing this to target costing, market orientation is strengthened and the product is developed in alignment with the customer’s budget.

Fraunhofer IPA has further developed QFD (MATRON-QFD) in order to add market segments to QFD – so-called customer types. This enables targeted platform or variant decisions to be reached on the basis of anticipated market volumes.

Services

• Determination and weighting of customer requirements on the basis of structured interview guidelines and Internet surveys,
• Support with QFD projects
• Assistance with platform and variant decisions during the product development phase with the aid of the advanced version of QFD.