A report on

Applications of Quality Function

Deployment
BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus
 Prepared in partial fulfilment of
Study Oriented Project

Prepared By:
Awaneesh Shukla
2015ABPS0864P

BITS Pilani Under Guidance of :

Pilani Campus Dr. A.K. Digalwar
Introduction:
QFD :
Quality Function Deployment is a very useful tool for manufacturing,
automobile and a number of industries which need to cater to their
customers by making sure that they are up to date with their
requirements. Certain companies need to evolve their product on a
regular basis, to do so they need to infuse the Voice of the Customer
(VoC) into their products such that the product satisfies the customer’s
needs.

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• Quality Function Deployment was first conceptualized in 1966 under
Total Quality Control (TQC) as a method for new product
development.
• It was developed by Dr. Shigeru Mizuno and Yuki Akao. The
purpose of Mizuno and Akao was to develop a quality assurance
method which, before a product is manufactured would design the
customer satisfaction into it.
• The latter detailed the methods of quality deployment in 1972. From
the late 1960's to the early 1980's, it was a belief that TQC shouldn’t
only check the control points during production because that way the
design criteria would be met in production only and there was no
formal method to translate the customer’s voice into design.
• Post World War II QFD got the required thrust and importance as
the need of addressing the design issues prior to production was
realized and QFD came into fruition to check the product in the
design phase itself hence making better products for the customers.

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Objective Of the Project:
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) has found various
applications through different industries, helping them to
better understand the customer’s voice and inculcate them in
their design and processes.
 Review the existing literature to understand the variety of
applications of QFD, its advantages, limitations and its
stepwise approach to building the House of Quality which is
the backbone of this methodology.
 Study the application of QFD in combination with other
methodologies like Goal Programming, Fuzzy Set Theory etc.
as it yields better results by reducing the ambiguity in the
customer’s voice.
 Presenting a case study for applying QFD to electric
vehicles (EVs), taking EV owners, buyers and considerers as
our customer and using surveys.

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Summarizing the literature
review:
1. Application of QFD in various industries:
Taking a look at the relevant research in the field of Quality Deployment, we
come across a number of research papers spanning across decades since its
conception in 1960’s. Listed here are papers that illustrate the applications of
QFD.
A quick glance of the list shows how (2), (6), (7) and (9) provide us a stepwise
approach to QFD and also present the various advantages and limitations of
the same via real cases through different industries.
(3) Highlights QFD is a way of quality management and should aim at not just
the processes but a companywide ‘culture change’, if one is to extract the full
benefit from its application.
(4) and (19) apply QFD to strategy planning in a food company and in a
manufacturing firm respectively.
This yet again shows that QFD is not restricted only to product planning and
development which (13), (14), (15) and (18) illustrate through a wide range of
products such as biometric identification system, digital camera and
cartographic products.
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8) shows how an engineering course can be designed using
QFD to identify the prime need of the students and market
from the course.
(1) and (5) combine QFD with Fuzzy set theory to give an
integrated framework for product development. (12) also goes
on a similar line combining Fuzzy Goal Programming with
QFD for new product planning.
The other papers, (10) uses QFD along with Ashby’s material
selection, while in (16) we come across a unique usage of
QFD along with Kano Model for evaluating a digital library.
(17) Gives a framework to prioritize infrastructure users
expectations, (11) apply QFD along with Lean Assessment to
develop a Lean Supply Chain. Finally, (20) shows the
application of QFD with Fuzzy Theory for enabling
sustainability in the environment

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2. Limitations Of QFD:
Less adaptable to changing demands: In QFD, the process
of capturing, documenting and incorporating customer
needs into products is time-consuming, and once
production starts, it isn’t easy to change.
QFD focuses solely on what a business needs to do to
satisfy its customers, ignores other factors such as cost,
the length of the product life cycle, long-term strategy
and growth objectives and available resources.
Data inaccuracy: The method for data collection for QFD,
mostly done through surveys doesn’t always bring out
the true feelings of a customer and can result in incorrect
analysis and waste of resources.

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Case Study: Applying QFD to
Electric Vehicles:
Problem Statement:
With the growing awareness about saving the environment
from global warming and pollution, the automobile industry
has responded with a range of hybrid and electric vehicles,
which don’t only cut on emissions but are also economical for
the customers in the longer run as they cut fuel costs
considerably. With the customers being an integral part of the
product design and development process, it becomes
important to hear and translate their requirements to
adaptable design parameters in electric vehicles. Here, we
utilize existing surveys and other online sources to record the
Voice of Customer and work upon building a House Of Quality
for the same. We take a general electric vehicle and compare
it with conventional fuel based vehicles for competitive
assessment.

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Building the House of Quality

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Methodology:
Building the House of Quality: The first phase in the implementation of
QFD for Electric Vehicles process involves putting together a "House of
Quality" for which we take a stepwise approach. .

Step 1: Customer Requirements - "Voice of the Customer”

The first step in a QFD project is to determine what market segments

will be analyzed during the process and to identify who the customers
are. In this case, the customers are : EV owners and EV considerers.
To gather responses we refer to a few existing surveys and research
papers which aim at recording the customer’s voice in this regard.
For e.g. from a survey report conducted by Cox Automotive, a research
paper comparing gasoline and electric vehicles and a university study
to see how the cost comparison is done between EVs and fuel based
vehicles, we get the numbers required to allot weight to the customer
requirements. .

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Step 2: Customer Importance Ratings

From the surveys, we can select the 10 customer requirement to move

ahead with our assessment, from the percentage of responses in favor
of the requirements, we also assign ‘Customer Importance’ to each
requirement on a scale of 1-5, with a scale:
Scale Percentage
favorable
1 0-20%
2 21-40%

3 41-60%

4 61-80%

5 81-100%

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Which gives us the following summarized customer
requirements along with their weights:

Requirements
Importance
Customer

Customer
3 Fuel efficiency
4 Saving cost on fuel
3 Environmental factor
4 Lower maintenance
5 Affordable Pricing
3 Longer Driving Range
3 Improved Infrastructure
4 Long Term Battery Reliability
2 New Technology
3 Comfort BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Step 3: Technical Descriptors - "Voice of the Engineer":
The technical descriptors are the attributes which can also be
called the voice of the engineers as they are tangible,
quantifiable and can be measured. Technical descriptors need
not always be discovered or introduced. Most of them are
already used by EV. They relate to the CRs in a way to
translate them to TRs which can be developed into design
parameters at later stages of product-design by quantifying
them.

Here we have listed down the technical requirements

corresponding to the customer requirements although one TR
can and is mostly related to multiple CRs.

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 Technical
Customer Requirements
Requirements
Engine efficiency, transmission design,
and tire design
Fuel efficiency
Saving cost on fuel Battery electric/hydrogen fuel cell
Environmental factor Tailpipe emissions
Reliability Battery life, Ah Capacity
Affordable Pricing Incentives, Cost of Materials
Longer Driving Range Traction battery pack (EVB)
Improved Infrastructure Latest in-car tech
Long Term Battery Reliability Ah Capacity (2)
New Technology Level Of Automation
Comfort Interior design
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 Customer Competitive Assessment
Step 4: Customer Rating of the
Our Product (Electric Competitor(Conventio
Competition:
Vehicles) nal fuel based vehicles)
Understanding how customers rate the
3 4
competition on the basis of their
5 2
requirements is of tremendous
5 1
importance. In this step of the QFD
4 3
process, we have the customers rate our
2 5
product in relation to the competition on
the scale of 1-5, five being most 2 5
favorable and 1 being poor. 4 5
3 5
4 3
4 5
Customer Competitive Assessment

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Step 5: Relationship Matrix:
The relationship matrix is the most crucial part of the
House of Quality because it relates what customers want
from the product and what parameters the company can
work on to achieves these needs and wants. The
underlining theme of the same is: ‘What is the strength of
the relationship between the technical descriptors and
the customers’ needs?" Relationships can be strong,
moderate or weak and carry a numeric value of 9, 3 or 1.

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 Relationships Weight

Strong ● 9

Medium ○ 3

Weak ▽ 1

Step 6: Direction of Improvement:

Now each technical descriptor is allotted its direction
of improvement. Some aspects need to be improved
upon while others, the less the better.

Direction of Improvement
Maximize ▲
Target □
Minimize ▼
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Direction of Improvement ▲ □ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ □

Traction Battery
Type of Battery

In-car features
Requirements

Latest in-car

Ah Capacity
Battery Life

Automation
Efficiency
Customer

Materials
Emission

Level Of
Tailpipe

Cost of
Engine

pack

tech
Fuel efficiency ● ● ● ● ● ●
Saving cost on fuel ● ● ○ ○
Environmental factor ○ ● ○
Lower maintenance ○ ● ○
Affordable Pricing ▽ ○ ○ ● ▽ ▽ ▽
Longer Driving Range ○ ● ● ● ● ▽
Improved Infrastructure ● ● ● ●
Long Term Battery/Reliability
○ ● ● ● ●
New Technology ○ ○ ● ● ○
Comfort ● ● ●
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Step 7: Correlation Matrix: The roof of the House Of Quality: It helps
the design engineers in the next phase of a comprehensive QFD project.
Once documented, the design team works on the
strong negative relationships and works to eliminate contradictions so as
to arrive at a physically viable design.

Correlations
Positive +
Negative -
No Correlation
Functional Requirements
▲ □ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ □

Ah Capacity
Engine Efficiency

Type of Battery

In-car features
Tailpipe Emission

Latest in-car tech

Level Of Automation
Battery Life

Cost of Materials

Traction Battery pack

Fig. (ix) Correlation Matrix
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Step 8: Technical Analysis of Competitor Products
To better understand the competition, engineering then conducts a comparison of
competitor technical descriptors. This process involves reverse engineering competitor
products to determine
specific values for competitor technical descriptors.
Step 9: Calculating the importance rating: Relative weight* importance:
This is of utmost importance as it tells the design team which parameters to focus on,
which to leave out.

Importance Rating 315 464 182 455 273 309 242 309 161 169.
Sum (Importance x Relationship) 7
Relative Weight 11% 16% 6% 16% 9% 11% 8% 11% 6% 6%
Our Product (Electric Vehicles) 3 5 5 4 3 5 3 2 3 5
Competitor(Conventional fuel 4 1 1 5 4 2 5 5 4 1
based vehicles)
Technical Competitive Assessment

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Importance Rating
Sum (Importance x
Relationship) 315.15 464 200 455 218 309 188 309 161 236.4
Relative Weight 11% 16% 7% 16% 8% 11% 7% 11% 6% 8%
Our Product (Electric Vehicles) 3 5 5 43 5 3 2 3 5

Competitor(Convetional fuel 4 2 5 5 4 1
based vehicles) 4 1 1 5
Technical Competitive Assessment

Step 7: Technical Analysis of Competitor Products

To better understand the competition, engineering then conducts a
comparison of competitor technical descriptors. This process involves
reverse engineering competitor products to determine specific values
for competitor technical descriptors.

Step 8: Calculating the importance rating : Relative weight*

importance : This is of utmost importance as it tells the design team
which parameters to focus on, which to leave out. BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
House of Quality

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Analyzing the House of Quality:
 The house itself isn’t definitive and can’t be used directly for designing or
making design changes to the EV. Instead it allows an inter-functional team to
debate and discuss the various conclusions that can be drawn from the different
parameters discussed.
 For instance, if we look at the most informative part of the house, the bottom
line, we can say the ‘Type of Battery’ and ‘Battery Life’ are the technical aspects
which need to be worked upon as according to the customers’ requirements
these have the highest weight.
 Next we have the Battery capacity and Engine Efficiency which can be
improved upon for better customer experience. Although all the suggested
changes can’t be adopted as it is. It does give the design team a sense of what
trade-offs to make in order to arrive at an optimum design with the primary
issues at the top of their priority which have been pointed out by the HoQ.
 Coming to the Customer’s assessment of the Competitor product against EVs,
we see that while EVs have the edge over fuel based vehicles when it comes to
environmental factor, saving cost on fuel and including new technology but they
lag behind in reliability, longer driving range and affordability.
 These factors need to be looked into and the technical factors that directly
affect these requirements can then be worked upon in the further phases.

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Conclusion:

 Following the above methodology for developing the

house of quality gives us a quantifiable sense of how
much customers weigh their requirement and what TRs
are more important to them accordingly than the rest.
 The building of this HoQ will be followed by a design
team assessing the ‘Hows? Or TRs, considering them
now as the VoC or ‘Whats?’ and laying down design
parameters (now TRs) against each ‘How’.
 The same goes on till 2-4 steps, according to the product
requirement, or till the team has clearly laid out the
design parameters to forward it to the production team.

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QFD as we have seen here, through a case study and
reviewing research papers, is quality tool which can be
molded and utilized in almost every industry that has to
be responsive to the voice of its customers and hence
succeed in business by getting a competitive edge.
Although it has certain limitations such as the ambiguity in
the voice of customer and the over dependence on
surveys, it serves as a primary tool to give the engineers
an idea of what the customers idea of the product is
even before it’s in the production phase, hence helping
them to build better products.

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Thank You!

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