Integration Of Quality Function Deployment Research Articles

Dealing with dissatisfaction in mathematical modelling to integrate QFD and Kano’s model

The purpose of the study is to implement the integration of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Kano’s Model into mathematical model. Voice of customer data in QFD was collected using questionnaire and the questionnaire was developed based on Kano’s model. Then the operational research methodology was applied to build the objective function and constraints in the mathematical model. The relationship between voice of customer and engineering characteristics was modelled using linier regression model. Output of the mathematical model would be detail of engineering characteristics. The objective function of this model is to maximize satisfaction and minimize dissatisfaction as well. Result of this model is 62% .The major contribution of this research is to implement the existing mathematical model to integrate QFD and Kano’s Model in the case study of shoe cabinet.

Improving service quality of hospital front office using an integrated Kano model and quality function deployment

Purpose: The aims of this study are twofold: first, it attempts to investigate service attributes in a hospital front office; and second, to identify strategies to improve those service attributes.Design/methodology/approach: This study used integration of Quality Function Deployment and Kano Model. The research instrument, which takes the SERVQUAL model as its starting point, was developed using a comprehensive set of techniques, including a literature review of relevant topics, interviews and focus group discussions. Using a sample of 140 customers of an international hospital situated in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 14 service attributes required by customers were identified. The attributes, which were further categorised into 5 attractive, 4 one-dimensional and 5 ‘must-be’ attributes, were analysed using the Kano Model.Findings: Using the integrated QFD and Kano Model, the service attributes needed for improvement were identified. The results are different from those when the company used either SERVQUAL or QFD alone. This study also reveals that benchmarking with competitor might produce misleading results. The results are different when the analysis combined a comprehensive method of QFD and Kano Model.Practical implications: Service providers will benefit from the findings of this study, as both the service attributes and technical requirements that require improvement as a priority are identified.Originality/value: It is the first time that front office quality of hospital is examined using integrated method of SERVQUAL, QFD and Kano Model. The recommendations proposed from this comprehensive method offer novel solution that has never been found in existing study.

Including the voice of the client in the creative process: a case study of the integration of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to the Value Proposition Design (VPD) in the service sector

By integrating quality-management tools to product design, this paper aims at proposing a model to assist in idea prioritization in value proposition design (VPD) processes in the service sector, tested in an experimental case study of a startup of the wholesale segment. To make for the subjective perspective in idea prioritization, this work conceives and adopts a hybrid approach, so to integrate the VPD canvas with the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology, the latter designed to listen to the “voice of the client.” Comparing the results obtained from the standard and the hybrid VPD models, we noticed an average prioritization shift of around 30%, when comparing the relative position of a given idea in the priority ranking in both models. We also found, particularly in this case, that the design team tended to attribute a higher importance to “gain creators,” while customers gave more importance to “pain killers.” These findings evidence the divergence between the designers’ feelings and the customers’ perception of needs. We close with conclusions and recommendations derived from this case-study experience.

Development of an Exportable Modular Building System by Integrating Quality Function Deployment and TRIZ Method

Quality function deployment and TRIZ method are widely used to develop new products in the manufacturing industry. These methods are known to be extremely effective for cost reduction and quality improvement. However, unlike the general manufacturing process, the manufacturing of an exportable modular building system involves many sub-processes that proceed concurrently. Therefore, there is a limitation on the efficiency that can be achieved if either of these methods is directly applied to product development. In order to address this issue, the authors propose a new methodology wherein quality function deployment is integrated into TRIZ. The results of a case study show that application of the new method makes it is possible to reduce the volume of an exportable modular building system compatible with ISO container shipping by 48% and to decrease the weight of structural steel by 30%.

Research on assembly reliability control technology for computer numerical control machine tools

Nowadays, although more and more companies focus on improving the quality of computer numerical control machine tools, its reliability control still remains as an unsolved problem. Since assembly reliability control is very important in product reliability assurance in China, a new key assembly processes extraction method based on the integration of quality function deployment; failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis; and fuzzy theory for computer numerical control machine tools is proposed. Firstly, assembly faults and assembly reliability control flow of computer numerical control machine tools are studied. Secondly, quality function deployment; failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis; and fuzzy theory are integrated to build a scientific extraction model, by which the key assembly processes meeting both customer functional demands and failure data distribution can be extracted, also an example is given to illustrate the correctness and effectiveness of the method. Finally, the assembly reliability monitoring system is established based on key assembly processes to realize and simplify this method.

Topic modelling-based decision framework for analysing digital voice of the customer

The aim of this study is to introduce a decision framework that integrates Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology and topic modelling to facilitate analysing online reviews, that is, a digital source of voice of the customer (VoC), to extract the true customer needs for developing a product/service. Within the framework, after collecting and preprocessing customer reviews, Latent Dirichlet Allocation is used for grouping them as topics. Most representative reviews are determined based on corresponding topic distributions, and QFD methodology is employed to clarify these reviews and reveal true customer needs. For demonstration, this framework was used to analyse 83,545 reviews on Italian restaurants gathered from Yelp.com via topic modelling with a more objective perspective. The number of documents to be examined was decreased by approximately 95%. Thereupon the completion time of customer voice table, one of the most important tools in QFD studies, reduced dramatically. Besides, text mining process is enhanced for retrieving meaningful information from customer reviews by using QFD tools and their tailored approach. This study is the first attempt that integrates QFD and topic modelling in order to increase the efficiency of the VoC clarification process.

Matrix-based quality tools for concept generation in eco-design

While quality management systems are familiar to industries for continuous improvements of products, the associated tools can also make significant contributions to address environmental concerns, aligning eco-design in the product improvement process. In this context, this article focuses on the adaptions of quality tools for supporting the generation of eco-design concepts. Particularly, this article develops a method that integrates quality function deployment and functional analysis via relational matrices. The proposed method has three steps. In step 1, an existing design is analyzed, and the associations between design entities are captured in three types of relational matrices: requirements and metrics, metrics and components, and functions and components. In step 2, the mapping between requirements and functions are determined via matrix multiplications, and then a morphological chart is established to generate possible design concepts. In step 3, the generated concepts are evaluated using Pugh charts via the delegated engineering metrics. A hair dryer has been selected as an application to demonstrate the proposed method for supporting eco-design.

Green hospital design: integrating quality function deployment and end-user demands

There is a rapidly growing awareness amongst the public of facilities where the design incorporates green construction principles. This paper aims to study the quality function deployment (QFD) concept and technique when implemented in the construction industry with a particular focus on supporting green hospital design by identifying the end-user factors (concerns) that affect the design. This research develops QFD tools for green hospital designs known as the House of Quality Green Design (HOQGD). Data were collected using a questionnaire survey distributed to public and private hospital end-users in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Findings revealed that end-users perceived “safety mechanisms during emergency” as being of the utmost importance and also the feature they were most satisfied with. The other demanded qualities were at an average degree of satisfaction; however, the end-users considered that green hospital design must make efforts to maximize the use of natural light and ventilation while considering the building orientation; materials should be free from toxicity and be environmentally friendly; the landscape should be strategically designed and the facilities should increase the sense of a healing environment, and water efficient equipment should be installed. Accordingly, these were prioritized and incorporated in the developed HOQGD to inform green hospital design for both public and private facilities.

The synergy of QFD and TRIZ for solving EMC problems in electrical products – a case study for the Notebook PC

This paper studies the design analysis and debugging mechanism against electrical product electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The aim is to employ an effective electromagnetic interference suppression solution based on the integration of quality function deployment (QFD) and TRIZ during the early development phase of electronic products to reduce both unit cost and launch time. The QFD relationship matrix displays potential contradictions in technical requirements, and the TRIZ contradiction matrix methodology helps to suggest generic solutions which then serve as solution triggers. This paper takes the example of reducing a Notebook PC’s EMC to meet customer specification demands and with QFD applications. It then proposes an innovative approach in solving EMC contradictions including: (1) QFD-based case analysis for Notebook PC computer products, (2) key EMC issues derived out of QFD analysis, (3) innovative design solutions solving EMC issues by way of TRIZ, and (4) evaluation of multiple solution effectiveness.

An empirical model for the barriers to successful implementation of marketing strategies: a fuzzy approach

Successful implementation of marketing strategies is the most important managerial aspect in the strategic marketing process. Research related to marketing strategies implementation shows that most companies face barriers in implementing such strategies. Due to the importance of the issue as it is related to marketing and sales performance, the present study attempts to first identify the barriers to marketing strategies implementation using available literature, documents and experts' viewpoints in marketing and research departments, then rank them using the integration of quality function deployment (QFD) and fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) techniques. Fuzzy computation is considered as a great tool in dealing with uncertainty in various research processes. However, in comparison, there are few techniques which result in higher reliability and real world consistency. Using fuzzy tools managers can make better decisions which result in increased sales network and revenue, as well as enhanced market development. The findings of the present study indicate that managerial strategic barriers have significant priority and should increasingly be considered by organisations. This paper provides valuable insight into the significance of marketing strategies and offers a foundation for future marketing research.

Integrated Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Model for Dry Bulk Terminal Improvements (DBTI) in Malaysian Ports

The main purpose of this paper is to apply integrated quality function deployment (QFD) for dry bulk terminal improvement from the perspectives of the customers. Firstly, the main issue of the QFD problem was made which are ‘what’ the customer required and ‘how’ to implement the problem to solutions. This two major of components to be emphasized on the house of quality (HOQ) matrices. In this research, the systematic procedures using inferential statistics which are factor analysis and correlation spearman were applying in QFD method. Factor analysis used for identifying the best group and reduced the unused items. Whereas correlation spearman used for see the relationship and strengthen each factor. The results in this study show 4 best group or criteria were identified which are loading efficiency, infrastructure improvement, time performance and dry bulk operation improvement. This four criteria is the main criteria for improvement. The using QFD method suggested the management in Port Terminal should listen the customer voice to raise the issue for solutions. How to solve the issue is based on the strategy implemented. The proposed strategy from this study can be used for the port management to identify solution in dry bulk terminal.

A framework for selecting optimal strategies to mitigate the corporate sustainability barriers

This paper develops a framework to prioritize the barriers to corporate sustainability and select the strategies to mitigate those barriers by applying an optimization based analytical hierarchy process integrated quality function deployment framework with multiple case studies. This research has collected data from the textile and clothing industries (six case companies) from an emerging economy, Bangladesh. Contingency theory, resource-based view and stakeholder theory are adopted to explain the sustainability barriers and their mitigation process through optimal use of resources. The study finds that lack of awareness, lack of governance, the utility supply problem and lack of expertise are the main barriers of CS. The findings also indicate that internal and external audits regarding compliance issues and setting policies for sustainability standards are considered as highly important mitigation strategies. Finally, the study identifies the optimal mitigation strategies based on maximising the relative importance while considering savings from the simultaneous implementations of strategies and constrained resources. This study advances existing CS literature by developing a framework to prioritize CS barriers and selects optimal strategies to mitigate those barriers. The developed framework should be of interest to organisations’ decision makers (specifically in the case of apparel industry of Bangladesh) in countries which have a similar institutional context.

Quantifying complexity in translational research: an integrated approach.

The purpose of this paper is to quantify complexity in translational research. The impact of major operational steps and technical requirements is calculated with respect to their ability to accelerate moving new discoveries into clinical practice. A three-phase integrated quality function deployment (QFD) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to quantify complexity in translational research. A case study in obesity was used to usability. Generally, the evidence generated was valuable for understanding various components in translational research. Particularly, the authors found that collaboration networks, multidisciplinary team capacity and community engagement are crucial for translating new discoveries into practice. As the method is mainly based on subjective opinion, some argue that the results may be biased. However, a consistency ratio is calculated and used as a guide to subjectivity. Alternatively, a larger sample may be incorporated to reduce bias. The integrated QFD-AHP framework provides evidence that could be helpful to generate agreement, develop guidelines, allocate resources wisely, identify benchmarks and enhance collaboration among similar projects. Current conceptual models in translational research provide little or no clue to assess complexity. The proposed method aimed to fill this gap. Additionally, the literature review includes various features that have not been explored in translational research.

Using integrated quality function deployment and theory of innovation problem solving approach for ergonomic product design

A multidisciplinary approach integrating method of identification of customer satisfaction needs (CSNs), the House of Quality (HoQ) chart of quality function deployment (QFD), theory of innovation problem solving (TRIZ) and fuzzy group decision-making theory for ergonomic product innovative design and evaluation in the early design stages was proposed. An integrated model and the approach procedures consists of four steps. In step 1, identification of CSNs is based on a data source triangulation approach, questionnaire survey, 5-point liner numeric rating scale, factor analysis, and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha statistic are utilized to guarantee that the CSNs are complete and reliable. In step 2, a correlation matrix is built to identify the critical ergonomic design areas and the key problems are established by analysis of the negative relationships obtained from interrelationship half-matrix at the roof of the HoQ. In step 3, to solve the problems, TRIZ main tools and contradiction analysis are utilized. Several innovative alternatives are generated by combining appropriate Inventive Principles of TRIZ, the critical ergonomic design areas and the ergonomic design principles. In step 4, a general and easy fuzzy group decision-making method for evaluating of the best design alternatives is presented. A case study of the integrated kitchen stove innovative design and evaluation is conducted to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.

An integrated supplier selection methodology incorporating QFD and DEA with imprecise data

Supplier evaluation and selection is an important group decision making problem that involves not only quantitative criteria but also qualitative factors incorporating vagueness and imprecision. This paper proposes a novel fuzzy multi-criteria group decision making framework for supplier selection integrating quality function deployment (QFD) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). The proposed methodology allows for considering the impacts of inner dependence among supplier assessment criteria through constructing a house of quality (HOQ). The lower and upper bounds of the weights of supplier assessment criteria are identified by adopting fuzzy weighted average (FWA) method that enables the fusion of imprecise and subjective information expressed as linguistic variables. An imprecise DEA methodology is implemented for supplier selection, which employs the weights of supplier assessment criteria computed by FWA utilizing the data from the HOQ and the supplier ratings with respect to supplier assessment criteria. The application of the proposed framework is demonstrated through a case study in a private hospital in Istanbul.

A systematic way of identifying and forecasting technological reverse salients using QFD, bibliometrics, and trend impact analysis: A carbon nanotube biosensor case

Experts have more difficulty identifying reverse salients in R&D because of increasing technological complexity and a shortened technology lifecycle. As an alternative, we suggest a new and systematic method of identifying and forecasting reverse salients using QFD (quality function deployment), bibliometric analysis, and TIA (trend impact analysis). QFD allows users to systematically identify and prioritize reverse salients. An integration of QFD, bibliometric analysis, and TIA makes it possible to specify key performance indicators of reverse salient in order to identify the performance gap between current and market-required performance and to make a probabilistic forecast about when reverse salients will be corrected. Our method will help managers identify a top priority reverse salient, forecast its future, and thus make better R&D decisions with regard to market requirements. A carbon nanotube biosensor technology is used as an example.

Integration of QFD, AHP, and LPP methods in supplier development problems under uncertainty

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-driven approach, widely used to develop or process new product to maximize customer satisfaction. Last researches used linear physical programming (LPP) procedure to optimize QFD; however, QFD issue involved uncertainties, or fuzziness, which requires taking them into account for more realistic study. In this paper, a set of fuzzy data is used to address linguistic values parameterized by triangular fuzzy numbers. Proposed integrated approach including analytic hierarchy process (AHP), QFD, and LPP to maximize overall customer satisfaction under uncertain conditions and apply them in the supplier development problem. The fuzzy AHP approach is adopted as a powerful method to obtain the relationship between the customer requirements and engineering characteristics (ECs) to construct house of quality in QFD method. LPP is used to obtain the optimal achievement level of the ECs and subsequently the customer satisfaction level under different degrees of uncertainty. The effectiveness of proposed method will be illustrated by an example.

Financial feasibility and value engineering principles integrated quality function deployment for a manufacturing organization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a case study in which financial feasibility integrated quality function deployment (QFD) approach was implemented. Design/methodology/approach – Customer complaints were systematically gathered. The house of quality (HoQ) matrix was developed. The technical descriptors were prioritized and subjected to the financial feasibility study. The cost calculations were carried out and the actions were derived. A set of value engineering (VE) principles was used during this case study. Findings – The study reported in this paper indicated the need for integrating financial feasibility study with QFD for enhancing the effectiveness of the method. The measures taken to prevent the customer complaints will be of considerable value to the manufacturing organizations. Research limitations/implications – During the conduct of case study, high-cost factors restricted the selection of materials which would exhibit higher performance. The case study was carried out in a single electronic switches manufacturing organization. Practical implications – The manufacturing costs incurred have been reduced by incorporating changes in the part material. The outcomes of the study have been considered for further implementation in the case organisation which indicated the practicality of the study. Originality/value – The concept of apportionment of HoQ cost developed with the idea of integrating the same with QFD is the original contribution of the authors.

A dual quality function deployment approach for benchmarking service quality

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.

Integration of QFD and AHP with TPM: an implementation study in an automotive accessories manufacturing company

This paper reports a research in which integration of quality function deployment (QFD) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with total productive maintenance (TPM) was investigated. In order to carry out this investigation, the implementation of a technique called analytic maintenance quality function deployment (AMQFD) was studied in an automotive accessories manufacturing company. In this direction, attempts were made to implement the 14 steps of AMQFD in this company. Since the management of this company was not enthusiastic about implementing AMQFD, all the 14 steps could not be completely implemented. Yet the experiences of conducting this implementation study have revealed the high practical propensity of AMQFD technique. This paper is concluded by claiming that implementation of AMQFD will enable the companies to perform at world class manufacturing (WCM) level.