Introducing Quality Function Deployment in the Marketing Classroom

Abstract

Today, product-oriented businesses focus on shortening the time to market, reducing costs and increasing product quality in the design and manufacture of new products. Quality function deployment (QFD) is one means to achieving these product development objectives. Central to the QFD process is the voice of the customer to drive design. Cross-functional product teams consisting of design engineers, operations management experts, and marketing researchers work closely to ensure that the customers’ needs are included in the design process. The House of Quality exercise described in this article represents the initial step in the QFD process and emphasizes marketing’s role in the voice of the customer research.