A dual quality function deployment approach for benchmarking service quality

Abstract

Unlike products, customers can receive and experience services without charge in many cases, thus having more opportunities to make comparative judgements. Consequently, benchmarking, which evaluates comparative advantages of leading competitors and identifies best practices, has been employed by many service firms. As part of effort to extend its scope, integration of quality function deployment (QFD) and benchmarking has been proposed in previous research. However, sufficient analysis on activities of both firms, including its own firm and its competitor, was not possible due to the use of a single QFD. In response, this paper suggests a dual QFD as a means for benchmarking service quality. A dual QFD makes it possible to conduct detailed analysis on competitor's activities and on relationship between activities of the two firms, which should be preceded by benchmarking. From the structural perspective, this paper modifies original QFD into dual QFD by relocating benchmarking matrix to the main frame and including activities of both firms. From the procedural perspective, this paper suggests how to use the suggested dual QFD for benchmarking.