Is Quality Function Deployment Good for Product Development? Forty Companies Say Yes

Abstract

The benefits claimed by advocates of quality function deployment (QFD) are better product designs, lower product costs, shorter development times, and better documentation of methods and results. The purposes of this study are to learn if organizations that apply QFD achieve these benefits and to determine which technical, organizational, and personal dimensions of QFD lead to its successful application.Data from a survey of 80 QFD projects undertaken by 40 firms are used to examine these critical relationships. When leaders from these project teams were asked to compare product development results from previous practices to results with QFD, they claimed that product designs, documentation efforts, and customer satisfaction improved significantly when QFD was used. Product costs and time-to-market showed only modest improvements. Benefits in these areas may increase as QFD teams get better training and gain more experience.