The application of quality function deployment in service quality management

TLDR

The study promotes the successful application of quality function deployment combined with quantitative techniques in service organizations and presents a procedure to automate the House of Quality for rapid response to changing customer needs. The authors evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of QFD, integrate AHP and ANP, and apply the combined framework in a bank sector through customer surveys and manager interviews to construct the first House of Quality. A real‑world illustration confirms that QFD, AHP, and ANP are compatible, easy to use, and effective for designing high‑quality services, offering value to both academics and practitioners.

Abstract

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to promote successful application of quality function deployment (QFD) combined with quantitative techniques in service organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper assesses advantages and disadvantages of implementing the QFD method in service organizations. It discusses the integration of quantitative techniques with QFD in order to overcome some of the problems that organizations face in its application. The implementation of QFD along with AHP and ANP is studied within the bank sector. With the intention of completing the first House of Quality and thus prioritizing customers' bank selection criteria, a field survey was carried out with customers of a bank. Also, information from interviews with the bank's managers was utilized. Findings – The real world illustration confirms the compatibility between QFD, AHP and ANP and demonstrates the applicability and ease of use of the proposed model. Originality/value – A procedure is presented to help practitioners of this improved QFD framework deal with the challenges of quick response to dynamic shifts in customer needs by automating the House of Quality (HOQ). The paper could be useful to academics and practitioners in developing the integrated QFD‐AHP‐ANP method to design high quality services in various services.