Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a product management tool that helps companies to understand the needs and wants of their customers and to translate those needs into product requirements. It is a structured process that involves cross-functional teams and uses a set of matrices to prioritize customer requirements and design features.
QFD was developed in Japan in the late 1960s by Yoji Akao, a quality engineer at Mitsubishi Electric. Akao was looking for a way to improve the quality of the company's products by focusing on customer needs. He developed a process that involved translating customer requirements into technical specifications and then using those specifications to guide the design and development of new products.
The QFD process involves several steps:
Throughout the process, cross-functional teams work together to ensure that customer needs are being met and that the product is being designed to meet those needs.
The QFD matrix is a key tool in the QFD process. It is a grid that helps teams to prioritize customer requirements and design features. The matrix is divided into several sections:
By using the QFD matrix, teams can ensure that they are designing products that meet the needs and wants of their customers.
QFD has several benefits for product management:
Overall, QFD is a valuable tool for product management that can help companies to design products that meet the needs and wants of their customers.