This is a two- to three-day, hands-on workshop. Workshop exercises utilizing actual product hardware are used extensively to develop a practical understanding of how to use QFD to capture the voice of the customer (VOC), perform competitive analysis, develop a product strategy, and derive product requirements. Part of the third day can be used to transition from the classroom to the workplace using QFD with your own products.

1. INTRODUCTION

• Product Planning and Voice of the Customer
• QFD Introduction
• Basic QFD - The Four Phases

2. VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

• Kano Model and Types of Customer Requirements (Spoken and Unspoken)
• The Importance of Capturing the Voice of the Customer (VOC)
• Methods for Capturing VOC
  • Customer Meetings / Interviews
  • Focus Groups
  • Observation
  • Market Research
• Organizing Customer Needs
• Creating a Data Dictionary

3. PRODUCT PLANNING (HOUSE OF QUALITY)

• Development of the Product Planning Matrix Based on Voice of the Customer
• Customer Needs and Priorities
• Competitive Assessment & Product Strategy
• Exercise 1: Organizing Customer Requirements, Evaluating the Competition and Developing a Product Strategy (Team Development of a New Pocket Calculator Product )
• Guidelines for Developing Technical Characteristics
• Exercise 2: Developing Technical Characteristics for the New Product & Establishing Relationships with Customer Requirements
• Exercise 3: Performing a Technical Evaluation (Product Benchmarking with Competitive Calculators)
• Identifying and Addressing Interactions
• Technical Difficulty and Program Risks
• Exercise 4: Considering Interactions, Risks, Importance Ratings, & Other Factors for Development
• Exercise 5: Analyzing the Product Planning Matrix and Establishing Target Values
• QFD with Complex Systems/Products: Two Approaches

4. SUBSYSTEM/PART DEPLOYMENT

• The Flow of Product Development Activities and Preparation of the Deployment Matrix
• Exercise 6: Deploy Design Requirements & Identify Other Basic Functions - Function Analysis
• Determining Critical Assembly/Part Characteristics - Performance & Reliability
• Concept Development & Product Benchmarking
• Concept Evaluation and Selection Techniques
• Exercise 7: Develop & Select Product Concept - Concept Selection Matrix 
• Exercise 8: Determine Critical Part Characteristics, Relationships, Importance Ratings & Target Values

5. PROCESS & PRODUCTION PLANNING

• Deploy Selected Part Characteristics
• Evaluate & Select Process Approach
• Determine Process Relationships & Critical Process Parameters
• Evaluating Where to Improve Process Capabilities & Invest in New Equipment
• Workshop Exercise (optional)
• Deploy Critical Processes
• Establish Quality Control, Test, Process Control and Maintenance Parameters
• Develop Work Instructions & Training

6. QFD FRAMEWORK AND PROCESS

• Enhanced QFD Framework - an Approach for Complex Products
• QFD and Systems Engineering
• Applying QFD to Services, Software Development and Business Processes
• Managing the QFD Process and Avoiding Common Pitfalls
• Planning and Organizing a QFD Project
• Team Membership and Operation
• Management Support, Training and Avoiding Pitfalls
• QFD Software Tools
• Bridging the Workshop Back to Workplace (Discussion or Day 3)