Integrating Product Design Through Quality Function Deployment

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a method for satisfying customers by translating their demands into design targets and quality assurance points. For a thorough "how-to" on the implementation of QFD, we went directly to the source -- Yoji Akao, the creator of QFD and one of the foremost leaders of the Japanese Total Quality Control movement. In this unprecedented book he explains the concepts and methods of this remarkable systems engineering approach. Filled with case studies, detailed charts, and over 100 diagrams, this book is a complete reference tool for QFD implementation. It includes— Use of the demanded quality deployment chart. Using and promoting quality charts. Using quality control process charts: QFD at the pre-production. Quality deployment and reliability deployment. Quality development in the construction industry. QFD for the service industry. QFD for software development.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a method for satisfying customers by translating their demands into design targets and quality assurance points. For a thorough "how-to" on the implementation of QFD, we went directly to the source -- Yoji Akao, the creator of QFD and one of the foremost leaders of the Japanese Total Quality Control movement. In this unprecedented book he explains the concepts and methods of this remarkable systems engineering approach. Filled with case studies, detailed charts, and over 100 diagrams, this book is a complete reference tool for QFD implementation. It includes: Using the demanded quality deployment chart. Using and promoting quality charts. Using quality control process charts: QFD at the pre-production. Quality deployment and reliability deployment. Quality development in the construction industry. QFD for the service industry. QFD for software development.

In today's highly competitive industrial climate, and in times of limited company resources and a continual need to improve company performance in all areas, the use of effective and efficient tools and development methodologies for research and development (R&D) is one interesting avenue to follow. Thus, the question is not really whether they should be deployed or not, but rather which methodologies and best-practices should be used, and why, when and how they should be deployed.Contemporary Quality Function Deployment for Product and Process Innovation: Towards Digital Transformation of Customer and Product Information in a New Knowledge-Based Approach introduces the reader to the industrial use of the Quality Function Development (QFD) methodology in product and process innovation. Customer, product, and production data related to each product family will be digitized in the matrix structures used in this methodology, and be made accessible, more transparent, and visible, thus facilitating a holistic product information perspective. Moreover, using this information in the creation of Integrated Knowledge Platforms (IKPs), supporting more digitalized product and process innovation work processes, will speed up product development and capture vital information to be used in your next-generation product innovation projects. From an overall company perspective, the well-proven ability of the QFD methodology to stimulate cross-functional product innovation will guide product innovation towards a new knowledge-based approach in its enhanced digital transformation and use of integrated customer, product, and production informationUsing the QFD methodology, you will learn how to create a retrievable and accumulated digitized company knowledge base, coupled with improved company communication. You will get better decision support, assisting in the development of better product specifications, and resulting in better products, and ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction. The adoption of the QFD tool and matrices in building such well-structured knowledge-based platforms (IKPs) related to individual products or product families is the heart of the matter and the 'hidden gem' of QFD methodology use.The book aims to serve as a manual introducing the methodology and how to use it, offering a guiding framework, and being a handbook for the methodology's industrial use for both newcomers and product developers. Furthermore, it offers new perspectives on a more efficient and effective use of the QFD methodology for the seasoned practitioner. This book can also serve as a textbook for students in all disciplines of the natural sciences, innovation management, product design, and engineering. Each part of the book concludes with a number of questions that can be used as learning instruments in lecturing and for more advanced tutorials.

Customer Integration Attaining higher levels of customer delight, increasing the speed and efficiency in the product development process, and increasing profits are goals many managers are struggling to achieve. Customer Integrated Decision Making, or CIDM, is a process that will show managers how to reach these goals by integrating the customer into the decision-making process and incorporating the customer's wants and needs into the design of new products and services. Customer Integration: The Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Leader's Guide for Decision Making focuses on the complete CIDM/QFD process. The book details the reasons for using CIDM market identification techniques, and QFD idea generation methodologies, as well as some basic and advanced customer "choice" prediction approaches. This practical, structured, and replicable process will provide a company of any size with the tools to assure its teams' success as they move to become linked to the customer. Customer Integration opens with a comprehensive overview for executives, followed by a detailed discussion of how CIDM/QFD can increase profits for businesses in a variety of industries. The executive overview reviews the issues confronting companies today and gives reasons why executives will need to be linked to customers to compete. The second part of the book lays out some of the foundation knowledge that middle managers will need to have in order to commit to supporting individuals and teams and to complete CIDM/QFD projects. Part II also offers practical discussions on the critical role of leadership and the challenges of implementation. The third part of the book provides a step-by-step explanation of the process, along with a complete review of the necessary concepts and tools to make a CIDM/QFD project happen. Customer Integration is designed for the whole company. It provides the information executives and managers need to undertake a Customer Integrated Decision-Making project and the knowledge that team members need to assure success in their project. Advance praise for Customer Integration "Customer Integration is written for the entire management team, from the executive to the project team members, challenging all not only to decide to use CIDM/QFD, but to achieve maximum value from the process. This is a book for those who believe delighting customers is a state of the art." --Michael E. Holtzleiter Manager-Europe, Senco Fastening Systems "The CIDM concepts in this book go beyond the QFD matrix analysis to show how to introduce the process into a company and how to lead a multifunctional team through the process. These concepts are helping us balance the voice of the customer in our product development process. After just one project, it is adding clarity and objectivity to our decisions by highlighting the trade-offs that must be made between customer wants, competitive pressures, and our company's capabilities." --Ronald A. Weeks Corporate Planning Director, Cincom Systems, Inc. "Having completed a CIDM project, I found Customer Integration to be a comprehensive documentation of this incredible process. This very replicable methodology truly allows companies to get at the 'real' customer requirements. The way the book is divided into sections for the executive, project and middle manager, and team members provides a clear perspective on 'hands on' for each." --Steve Nelson Manager-Emerging Markets, Senco Fastening Systems "If you are looking for structured processes that provide you with a better understanding of your customers, an understanding about what they mean by value, that promotes 'leveling' of customer knowledge among the enterprise, that assures 'true' teaming and reduces the time to bring innovations into the marketplace, then Customer Integration is the book that you have been looking for." --John Edholm Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Pierce and Stevens

The need exists in the private sector and government manufacturing sites to reduce product development time, production lead times, inventory, and non-value added activities. At the same time, there is increased pressure to improve manufacturing process yields, produc tion efficiency, and resource utilization. Much of the technology required to meet these needs already exists, but an integrated structure that can demonstrate the potential for the technology in a concurrent engineering context does not. This book provides a road map for building the integrated technology environment to evaluate existing products, manufacturing processes and system design tools. This book details innovative approaches that will significantly improve design/manufacturing technology development and deploy ment capabilities for civilian and defense applications. These approaches are integrated product, process, and system design (IPPSD) initiatives which will greatly enhance the manufacturing competitiveness of the economy. These approaches involve the use of simulation, modeling tools and computerized virtual workstations in conjunction with a design environment which allows a diverse group of researchers, manufacturers, and suppliers to work within a comprehensive network of shared knowledge. The IPPSD infrastructure consists of virtual workstations, servers and a suite of simulation, quantitative, computa tional, analytical, experimental and qualitative tools. Such an IPPSD infrastructure will permit effective and efficient predictions of complete product design, manufacturing proces design, and customer satisfac tion.