A Case Study on Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

Abstract

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was conceived in Japan in the late 1960's, and introduced to America and Europe in 1983. This paper will provide a general overview of the QFD methodology and approach to product development. Once familiarity with the tool is established, a real-life application of the technique will be provided in a case study. The case study will illustrate how QFD was used to develop a new tape product and provide counsel to those that may want to implement the QFD process. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a “method to transform user demands into design quality, to deploy the functions forming quality, and to deploy methods for achieving the design quality into subsystems and component parts, and ultimately to specific elements of the manufacturing process.”