Simplifying the implementation of QFD

The increasing pressure on designers to reduce the time to market for new products has resulted in a variety of tools and techniques to promote systematic and thorough analysis of designs. One such tool, quality functional deployment (QFD) has now been used successfully in a number of different companies gaining them added benefits. It is as a result of stressing the importance of the voice of the customer that many design engineers have had their first opportunity of direct contact with the end user instead of talking through marketing personnel. However implementing QFD does not always run smoothly. If applied incorrectly, it may result in increased work without accompanying benefits. It is the question of efficient implementation that is discussed by the author