A methodology to computerise QFD’s application and enhance its integrity purpose and acceptance with in the European Automotive Industry

Abstract

Companies are increasingly looking up to QFD as a key to capture the customers voice and to encourage team members to communicate more effectively with each other. QFD is a complex and very time consuming process therefore difficult to implement. Owing to the complexity of this technique in the European Automotive Industries, its implementation generally relies upon specialists and consultants. A lack of clear understanding between the industrial participants results in a somewhat disrupted implementation. Moreover individual competitiveness and an increasing need for recognition will prevent them from putting faith in the mechanics of the technique and from reaching a team consensus. Under these circumstances the QFD implementation will not be pure. There is a great deal of QFD work which is available for all those with time to analyze and argue its particular points. But there is an increasing desire in some places i.e. the Automotive industry for practical information and applied knowledge about QFD. Moreover a lot of automotive business like the idea of implementing the technique but they don’t know how. Obviously there are places that people can learn about QFD and there are consultants who can help them implement it. The problem which arises by this approach is the lack of understanding within the business. That means consultants may not understand a company and its needs when implementing QFD but they will propose solutions. More important they have no reason to argue with any of the company’s members therefore they can easily agree for a look alike implementation of the technique. Considering the above statements the purpose of this project is to eliminate any misunderstanding of the technique, by describing the technique in a simple manner recommending its implementation to the product development process using fuzzy logic and a typical spreadsheet PC software. Finally an enhancement in the communication between the members of the product development team and the acceptance of the technique can be achieved representing the team member’s preferences in a fuzzy manner and calculating the group decision using a methodology proposed in this project. Therefore QFD will be available to industry as a user friendly tool which can be applied to vital decision making during the product development stage, ensuring that the end product is a good result, taking the technique from the papers and putting it into practice.