Chapter 3. Simplified QFD
What you will learn in this chapter is that what a customer really needs is often not truly understood during the design or change of a product, process, or service. A simplified QFD, if done carefully, will minimize issues arising from this lack of understanding.
QFD originally stood for quality function deployment. Year ago, when quality departments were generally much larger than now, quality engineers were 'deployed' to the customers to rigorously probe the customer's needs and then create a series of forms that transitioned those customer needs into a set of actions for the supplier to take. The simplified QFD attempts to accomplish the same task in a condensed manner.
What is presented here is a simplified version of the QFDs likely to be described in many Six Sigma classes. Some descriptions of these traditional QFDs and the rationale for the simplification will be given later in this chapter. The simplified QFD is usually used in the Define or Improve steps of the DMAIC process.
A simplified QFD is a Six Sigma tool that does not require any statistics. But it is usually necessary to do a simplified QFD to understand what actions are needed to address a problem or implement a project. The specific actions that are identified in the QFD, or in any of the other qualitative tools, are often what trigger the application of the statistically based Six Sigma tools.
Many product, process, and service issues are caused by not incorporating inputs from customers and/or suppliers of components and raw materials early in a design or process change. Often the manufacturer decision makers just assume that they and the people from whom they source already know what the customers want.
NOTE
Simplified QFD
The simplified QFD converts customer needs into prioritized actions. Here are some examples of how a QFD is used.
Manufacturing Use the simplified QFD to get input from customers on their needs at the start of every new design or before any change in process or equipment.
Sales and Marketing Before any new sales initiative, do a simplified QFD, inviting potential customers, salespeople, advertisement suppliers, etc., to give input.
Accounting and Software Development Before implementing a new program language or software package, do a simplified QFD. A customer's input is essential for a seamless introduction.
Receivables Do a simplified QFD on whether your approach to collecting receivables is optimized. Besides those directly involved in collections, invite customers who are overdue on receivables to participate. (You may have to give them some debt relief to get their cooperation.)
Insurance, etc. Do a simplified QFD with customers to see what they look for to pick an insurance company or what it would take to make them switch.
The customers in this case include everyone who will touch the product while or after it is made. This would include employees in production, packaging, shipping, and sales and the end users. They are all influenced by any design or process change. The people who operate equipment, who do service work, or who implement can be both customers and suppliers.
The most difficult (and important) step of doing any QFD is getting the suppliers, operators, and customers together to do the required QFD form(s). Every group affected by the project should be represented. The desires of one group will sometimes cause limitations on others and simultaneous discussions among the factions will often identify options not previously considered, to arrive at the best possible overall solution. As you read the following details, refer to the simplified QFD form (Figure 3-1) to see the application.