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What is QFD?
 ime
was when a man could order a pair of shoes directly from the cobbler. By
measuring the foot himself and personally handling all aspects of
manufacturing, the cobbler could assure the customer would be satisfied.
The growing distance between producers and users in today's industrial society
is a problem that concerns Yoji Akao, one of the founders of Quality Function Deployment.
He developed QFD to bring this personal interface to
modern manufacturing. It links the needs of the customer with marketing, design, development,
engineering, manufacturing, and service functions. It can be used for service and software
products, as well.
How does QFD differ from other quality initiatives?
Quality Function Deployment is quite different from traditional quality systems which aim at minimizing
negative quality (such as defects, poor service). With those systems, the best you can get
is zero defects - which is not competitive when all the players are good. In
addition to eliminating defects, we must also maximize positive quality (such as ease of
use, fun, luxury). This creates value.
Quality Function Deployment is the only comprehensive quality
system aimed specifically at satisfying the customer. It concentrates on maximizing
customer satisfaction (positive quality) - measured by metrics, such as repeat business
and market share. It focuses on delivering value by seeking out both spoken and unspoken
needs, translating these into design targets, and communicating this throughout the
organization. Further, it allows customers to prioritize their requirements, tells us how
we are doing compared to our competitors, and then directs us to optimize those features
that will bring the greatest competitive advantage.
How do Mazur's QFD Belt programs differ from other training?
Glenn Mazur (Japan Business Consultants) is an
internationally recognized authority on Quality Function Deployment. He has been awarded the
Akao Prize®
and certified at the highest level
of QFDdmastery, the QFDdRed Belt®, by
Yoji Akao,
co-founder of Quality Function Deployment.
In 2000, Akao instructed Mazur to rejuvenate how
QFD was being practiced in the West in order to resolve complaints that it
consumed too much time for the knowledge delivered. A major problem was that
most books and training required that teams perform 4 Phases of linked matrices
(planning, parts, manufacturing, and production) that were impossible to
complete with the time and resources available in today's "right-sized"
companies. Their needs were obvious - more knowledge in less time.
The
QFDdGreen Belt® and
QFDdBlack Belt®
courses were designed to
custom tailor it to be integrated into a company's existing product
development process to eliminate redundancies. Since each company and its
products were unique, there could be no single approach that would work
for everyone. Analysis showed, however, there were some commonalities such
as quantifying project deliverables, identifying and visiting key customers
to discover their true needs (not just what they said), benchmarking
competitors, translating critical customer needs into functional
requirements for design, build, and delivery, and assuring that these were
protected in the project budget and schedule.
The so-called 4-Phase method mentioned above simply
could not do this job. Why? It had been derived in 1983 from a reliability
study done on a copy machine component causing a paper feed problem. It was
most useful in projects solving known problems with existing built-to-print
components. The 4-Phase approach was never intended for new products, system
or end product design, or non-assembled products, such as chemicals,
services, or software. Yet, it was widely disseminated by those with limited
QFD skills because it was easy to explain and simple, which proved to be its
undoing. No wonder, early proponents of this 4-Phase model often referred to
it as "Kindergarten QFD."
The new Belt courses are built on the
Blitz
QFD®
engine and incorporate mini-matrices when needed. The goal is to
satisfy the most important needs of the customer by identifying critical
tasks end-to-end throughout the company. So whether you are new to the
method
or a seasoned practitioner, these courses will invigorate your products with
customer value and faster time to market.
History of
Quality Function Deployment
Quality Function Deployment FAQs
How to choose a Quality Function Deployment
trainer or consultant
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