Literature review, classification, and analysis on QFD - Types of research, difficulties of the use, and benefits of the method

Abstract

This paper shows a QFD literature review as well as its classification, codification, and analysis. Part of this study is the basis for the development of a systemic model of QFD application to be used in the future. Scientific publications were obtained from CAPES data base considering studies published from 2000 to 2006. The papers were classified into conceptual research and empirical research. The affinity diagram and the tree diagram were used to organize the QFD literature data. The classification of the papers and the main groups of information about the QFD, organized according to the diagrams, were codified, so the information needed could be found. Some difficulties were encountered when classifying the research such as identifying empirical research, e.g. "case study" or "action research" because, most of the times, there was limited information about the research method employed. The results show that the papers were published, scatteredly in several different journals, and that the majority of them have a theoretical/conceptual characteristic. These studies are aimed at adapting QFD to a specific application and to improve the method in order to facilitate its use. The use of this method has provided intangible benefits related to the improvement of the product development project. The article demonstrated that the literature presents many difficulties of using QFD although it presents some solutions to overcome those difficulties.