Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is an approach to product/process design which employs a collection of tools (I/O, Cause and Effect, etc.) to highlight where engineering effort should be expended and, just as importantly, where not to invest time and money. In many respects it parallels FMEA (ie identify elements, sources of problem, relative severity of problem, add up points score and focus on priorities) in its ability to help determine where quality technology and engineering effort (eg Taguchi Methods) should be applied.
Establish the combinations and relationships between the ‘whats’ (outputs) and the ‘hows’ (inputs) (ie how strongly does a ‘what’ relate to a ‘how’). This process can be completed by the use of analysis techniques such as cause and effect, pie charts, etc.
Score and Rank to establish a priority order for implementation (a form of pareto analysis). These scores will provide the focus for action.
The diagram below shows a simple example of a completed matrix. The completed matrix is sometimes called a Product Planning Matrix
Relationships among QFD, Taguchi Methods, and JIT/TQO operating principles
