Application of network science to extend the AHP and QFD methods

Abstract

Understanding customers'' needs and developing a product which meets expectations is a multi-criteria decision problem, and requires methods for solving complex tasks. The purpose of the present study is to apply network science for prioritization of customers'' needs and extend the applicability of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methods. These two methods can be used jointly in the customer's' needs prioritization. The customer's needs are prioritized by using the AHP technique, and the technical requirements are ranked by using the QFD method. Although network analysis is a widely used method in several disciplines, it is not yet widespread in customer needs assessment. This study aims to fill this gap, replace and combine the AHP and QFD methods by one to facilitate the application. Preference and correlation networks are presented and evaluated in detail. By using a preference network, the importance of the customer needs is definable by calculating an in-degree or a PageRank value. In a correlation network, the effects of the technical requirements on each other can be evaluated by specifying their weights and directions.