Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a process for planning products and services. It starts with the Voice of the Customer (VOC) which becomes the basis for setting requirements. From that, the organization identifies the What’s – the most important needs of the VOC. Then, a team identifies the How’s – those areas of process focus that address each of these identified requirements.
Use: A popular tool of Six Sigma used in quality function deployment is The House of Quality. The house of quality is a powerful, but simple matrix that identifies the requirements (the What’s, the How’s), and provides a matrix that links these together which ultimately breaks down and prioritizes those things in the process that will have the biggest impact on the requirements of the customer.
