Reconnecting and Reflecting: Insights from a Reunion and a Dive into QFD

Last week, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Dr. Rene Villalobos , my former professor from three decades ago at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). I had the fortune of attending Dr. Villalobos’ classes during my master’s program in manufacturing in the mid-1990s. Dr. Villalobos taught us Design of Experiments, Statistics, Advanced Analytics, and other subjects in the mid-1990s that became known as Six Sigma methodology later. The solid foundation I gained in these disciplines at UTEP always gave me an edge in my professional career.

Our discussions centered around the book I wrote on Design for Six Sigma, which Dr. Villalobos had read. He recommended the book to his colleague Dr. Rodrigo Ulloa . Rodrigo was particularly intrigued by Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and asked me a few pointed and interesting questions, which I hope I answered to the best of my ability. For the benefit of others, I am listing these questions and answers below.

Question 1:

Rodrigo: How do you ensure that you capture the Customer Requirements (CR) right?

Ashok: You should actively listen to customers and gather the Voice of the Customers (VOC), which can be obvious sometimes and hidden other times. It is also essential to directly engage with customers, deeply empathize with their situations, and think from their perspective, as this will help you to gain additional insights into their needs and preferences which will be valuable. Furthermore, you may even anticipate certain needs that customers themselves may not be aware of. By doing so, you can identify and understand their true needs and preferences, ensuring that we capture CR comprehensively.

Question 2:

Rodrigo: How do you ensure that you have captured all the Design Requirements (DR)?

Ashok: To ensure a comprehensive capture of Design Requirements (DR), conduct thorough brainstorming sessions with colleagues in the domain, including subject matter experts. Additionally, involve individuals who may not be directly associated with the program to gain diverse perspectives. Once DRs are identified, stake them on a matrix alongside customer requirements and do the correlation exercise. If there is a reasonable correlation, key design requirements have been captured. If not, it is necessary to revisit the process and identify DRs that align with CRs.

Question 3:

Rodrigo: How do you conduct QFDs for a complex piece of equipment?

Ashok: You do that by breaking down the complex piece of equipment into manageable modules. For instance, consider a car that comprises major subsystems such as the engine, transmission, HVAC, chassis & suspension, and cabin. I recommend conducting QFD individually for each of these major subsystems. Limit the number of QFDs to around five, as exceeding this may lead to paralysis by analysis.

In conclusion, my reunion with Dr. Rene Villalobos led to an engaging discussion with Dr. Rodrigo Ulloa about my book on Design for Six Sigma. Dr. Ulloa's interest in QFD sparked insightful conversations about capturing customer requirements accurately, ensuring comprehensive design requirements capture, and conducting QFDs for complex equipment. Those interested in knowing more about QFD, and additional information on Design for Six Sigma can purchase the book from Amazon at this link.

#CustomerFocus #VOC #ProductDesign #QFD #DesignForSixSigma #SixSigma