05 November 2019

Competitive Benchmarking and QFD - ASQ Webcast


Competitive benchmarking plays an important role in the design and development of new products. After all, why would a customer buy something new unless the new product offered superior benefits over what they use now.

Benchmarking competitors can be employed at different QFD phases to help identify opportunities where both the producer (business) and the customer get the "biggest bang for the buck."

The "Competitive Benchmarking and QFD" webcast gives an excellent overview of what QFD really is and how your business can benefit from it. Best of all, you learn the most trusted QFD information from the world top QFD expert, Glenn Mazur.

The webcast also provides an eye-opening update including the new ISO 16355, for those who had learned QFD from the books and/or instructors teaching the out-of-the-date method (such as 4-phase or 4-house model from the 1960s) or incorrect information (such as 'a House of Quality matrix is QFD').

This webcast is a part of "Learn About Quality" education by the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and the QFD Institute is pleased to provide the updated content.

The webcast is free to the ASQ members.
Sign in from this page to access it, if you are already a member.

Interested in getting an ASQ membership?
It is available for individuals and corporations, regardless of your location.

You can read the snippets of the webcast content from this page, if you do not wish to get an ASQ membership at this time.



05 October 2019

QFD Master Class in India

The QFD Institute is pleased to announce the QFD Master Class in India this fall, in cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Institute of Quality.

QFD Master Class
  • When: 21–22 November 2019
  • Where: Bangalore, INDIA

This is an excellent opportunity for businesses in India and neighboring regions to learn from the world top QFD expert Glenn H. Mazur.

  • What is QFD (Quality Function Deployment) -- its root, history, recent advancements
  • Key QFD methods and tools
  • Basic application steps
  • ISO 16355

The workshop elements in this 2-day class equip participants with important skills that they can implement in their work environment, across the supply chain of their business, and the value chain of their customers, plus optional QFD Green Belt® certification.

For details and registration, please see the website of CII Institute of Quality.

05 September 2019

ISQFD'19-Boise: The 25th International Symposium on QFD

Over seven decades ago in the aftermath of the WW II, Japanese engineers learned from Dr. W. Edwards Deming about statistical process control (SPC), and taking to heart Deming’s teachings, rebuilt Japan’s industrial base. Over time. SPC morphed it into Kaizen and TQM.

At the height of Japanese quality dominance in the 1980s, a handful of Americans discovered the Japanese secret to new product excellence: Quality Function Deployment (QFD). These Americans, including QFD Institute advisors Larry Sullivan and Bob King, studied with Dr. Yoji Akao, who happily shared his knowledge to anyone who came to him, just like Dr. Deming did decades earlier.

QFD spread globally, triggered by the case studies published through the Symposia on QFD, the first of which was organized in Michigan (USA) in 1989 by Bob Adams and which became the predecessor of the International Symposium on QFD.

The QFD taught in the 1980s, however, was rooted in the 1960s Japanese TQM era and was inefficient in many Western business environments and technology-based product development. Dr. Yoji Akao, one of the founders of QFD, approached the QFD Institute to modernize Japanese 1960s QFD for a 21st century global business environment, with Six Sigma precision and Lean Sigma speed.

With the new ISO 16355 Standard established in 2015, Modern QFD has transcended beyond it’s original manufacturing form to become a universally applicable toolset for new product and business development, business process re-engineering, corporate transformation, innovation, and, of course, quality. Tools included in Modern QFD are Blitz QFD®, Customer Voice Table, Maximum Value Table, modern House of Quality using AHP prioritization math, and many more.

Showcased in the 25th International Symposium on QFD (ISQFD) on September 6–7, 2019 are case studies and research that reflect these exciting advancements including Modern QFD for business transformation. They are but a sample of the state of QFD Best Practice from around the world, taking on important, timely topics and presenting solutions with QFD analytics and tools.

Once again, activities for people of all levels of QFD experience are offered at the 2019 conference: the QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course on September 4–5; QFD Black Belt® Certificate Course on September 9–13; QFD Black Belt® Update Course and QFD Green Belt® Update Course on September 8. These QFD Belt Courses are our way of giving back to our QFD community.

Without the hard work, diligence, and generosity of our authors and presenters and QFD Institute staff, this symposium could not have taken place. Our gratitude for all. We also acknowledge support from the members of the International Council for QFD and the members of the ISO 16355 QFD technical committee.

If you are interested in participating the next ISQFD and/or QFD courses, or if you would like to purchase the symposium transactions, please contact the QFD Institute.



10 August 2019

ISO 16355 QFD Courses in 2019

QFD (Quality Function Deployment) links both the spoken and unspoken needs of the customer (target quality) with design, development, engineering, marketing, manufacturing, service and other organizational functions through its systematic deployment.

The methodology, originated from Japan, has been not only successfully applied in virtually every industry and business (examples: aerospace, manufacturing, software, communication, IT, chemical and pharmaceutical, transportation, defense, government, R&D, food to service industry), but it also continues to advance. The ISO 16355 for QFD, in particular, addresses the needs of today's businesses and project members who must compete in the increasingly global and agile business environment.

Your project is too important to gamble on uncertified trainers, books, someone else's examples or even matrix-making software. So are your time and company resources.

Begin your QFD journey right the first time, using the most optimized tool set and efficient deployments for your particular project—whether it is a multim million dollar product development or academic research.

Here is your chance to learn and begin applying Modern Blitz QFD® and ISO 16355 tool set for innovation, new product development, and business process design.


  • SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 
    QFD Black Belt® UPDATE Course

    Past graduates of QFD BB can receive a semi-private coaching and
    the latest update and materials on ISO 16355.
    Online Brochure

    PDF Brochure

  • SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 
    QFD Green Belt® UPDATE Course

    For the past graduates of QFD GB who wish to advance to the Black Belt level.
    Online Brochure

    PDF Brochure

All events listed above will be held at Hampton Inn & Suites Boise Downtown, in Boise, Idaho USA, and include the complimentary 25th International Symposium on QFD (Sept 6-7, 2019) ..

For questions, please contact the QFD Institute.


14 July 2019

Tutorial "QFD for Business Transformation"

click for this youtube
click here for Autoline youtube

Back in 2016 we sensed General Motors was onto something when we saw one of their VPs on the Autoline THIS WEEK. In that TV interview, she emphasized "mobility" as the company's new business strategy into the future, responding to the shift in the customer needs from being a car owner to a mobility user.

In fact, GM had filed for the trademark "General Mobility" around the same time, we hear, suggesting that top management had been working out the strategic transformation for some time, in order to stay sustainable in the face of recent car-sharing and on-demand transportation business models as well as consumer preference for convenience and economic efficiency over the traditional ownership prestige, and anticipation of new technologies such as autonomous vehicles.

It was not until 2018 when their number one Japanese competitor caught the wind of this. At the 2018 CES trade show, the president of Toyota Motor Company announced that his company, too, aims to become a "mobility service company," in spite of their long standing position as a manufacturer of "cars that give you pleasure in owning" as emphasized by frequent commercial campaigns "Let's Go Places" by driving their cars.

While we root for both companies to succeed, one wonders,
  • How do you go about making such business transformation?
  • What actions are required of an organization to bring out fundamental changes in the way they conduct business?
  • Are there ways to effect transformation systematically and effectively?

Are there tools that QFD can offer?

The September 2019 International Symposium on QFD (ISQFD) will include a tutorial precisely on this subject.

To remain sustainable in the long term, an organization needs to be able to systematically and rapidly adapt/transform its products, services, business models, resources and enterprise infrastructure in response to the changing business environment. To accomplish this in a coordinated manner, the business needs to be considered as a socio-technical system operating within a very complex and highly dynamic environment.

More often than not, the changes in market expectations and technological capabilities demand transformation across multiple organizations in integrated supply chains, where some businesses will be software intensive businesses, while others focus on physical offerings. These changes are being accelerated with the emergence of Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 developments and capabilities.

The tutorial "QFD for Business Transformation" will introduce the principles and relationships between Modern QFD and business transformation planning and development for businesses. The tutorial will reference relevant sections in the new ISO 16355 standard for QFD, and give attendees exercises to connect the principles and key methods, particularly Hoshin Kanri, the initial analytic stages of QFD, and prioritization and methods like analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

The tutorial will consist of approximately 1 hour of lecturing and 1 hour of exercises using a case study from 'Space logistics systems' scenario.

This tutorial was developed by three QFD Black Belts®: Dr. Kim Stansfield, Steve Dimelow, and John Fraser and has been successfully taught in UK at INCOSE (systems engineering) conferences.

This September, please join us to gain new knowledge and skill-set on this important subject.

The 2-day ISQFD including this tutorial is complimentary to those who sign up for the QFD courses.



About the Tutorial Instructors

The ISQFD tutorial "QFD for Business Transformation" will be taught by Dr. Kim Stansfield and Mr. Steve Dimelow.

Dr. Kim Stansfield is a QFD Black Belt® and 2016 Akao Prize recipient. He is currently Associate Professor of Transformational Systems Engineering WMG, at University of Warwick, UK. He has over 20 years of experience in automotive and aerospace control systems and also in applying QFD and DFSS to large Enterprise IT Systems development. 

Dr. Stansfield started his career in the Composites Group of the UK's Royal Aerospace Establishment, and then moved to Lucas Engineering and Systems and Energy Technologies Institute. He has been the UK representative for the development of the ISO 16355 standard for QFD since 2010.  


Mr. Steve Dimelow is a QFD Black Belt® and known in industry for his ability to solve complex engineering problems so that Projects can be brought in on time, cost and quality. His professional career includes British based Heavy Haulage company (ALE Ltd) in Abu-Dhabi, Hydratight Hevilifts in Walsall where he was involved in the design and commissioning of computer controlled Hydraulic Jacking Systems and Hydraulic Bolting Systems for the Civil, Powergen and Petro/Chem industries, followed by Smiths Aerospace in Wolverhampton where he was a Lead designer on Primary and Secondary Flight Controls for Civil and Military Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce in Derby where he has worked on Military and Civil engine programmes as well as new technology acquisition programmes.

It was during his work in the Aerospace business where he developed interest in Systems Engineering and sought the influential Systems Engineering Specialist role. In 2016, Steve earned a QFD Blackbelt® after searching for a method to connect business to engineering. He has been successful in applying QFD / Systems Engineering principles and Systems Thinking techniques both in practice on engineering programmes and through ongoing corporate training/coaching campaigns. Steve is currently contracted to QuEST Global Engineering Services as a Consultant Systems Engineer.

To inquire about this tutorial, ISQFD, and QFD certificate courses, please contact the QFD Institute.






01 July 2019

Using QFD and AHP's Structured Analysis to Surface Market Predictions and Formulate Future Strategy

This might come across as strange but we once heard a Navy officer say their number one enemy is the Air Force. It was meant as a metaphor describing how different divisions within an organization fight for the same resources.

Similar situations can be found in the business world. One product division views another as their number one competitor to be defeated, a sales force competes for a territory or market share with another department in the same company, or a VP demands a budget for her group's project pushing back against another VP doing the same for his.

Internal completion is good generally, but when leadership is disconnected for various reasons and travels in conflicting directions, it becomes a problem. It leads to unnecessary redundancy, wasted resources, broken team spirit, and diluted market focus.

While it might not always be possible to cause leadership to change his/her mind, what if you could offer a single view of company activities, market, and competitive environment that everyone can work from? What if you could offer a versatile structured analysis that enables the leadership to see current market direction as well as help them formulate strategic responses to changing elements in the future in a systematic way?

Here is a case study that used Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to surface the market predictions and AHP to discuss and decide on future events, showing the ways to achieve agreement and alignment among the leadership: "Predicting Future Health Insurance Scenarios using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)". This case study was done by Carey Helper and Glenn Mazur and was presented in 2008 (ISBN 1-889477-20-6). Here are some of the analysis used.
Mr. Carey W. Hepler is one of our QFD Black Belt® graduates and the recipient of the 2010 Akao Prize® for Excellence, a member of the US technical advisory group for the ISO 16355standard for QFD, a Six Sigma Black Belt, and an Net Promoter System Champion at UnitedHealth Group®.

He has been applying various aspects of modern QFD successfully in the healthcare and insurance fields. (See below for a list of some of Carey's papers). We are pleased to announce that Carey will be co-teaching the QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course on September 4-5, 2019 at the 25th International Symposium on QFD in Boise, Idaho USA.

Since its inception, the aim of the QFD Institute training has been to produce practitioners who are capable of applying QFD thinking and tools correctly and effectively in their profession for successful development of new products, services, and business processes, and by doing so, to foster the next generation of QFD practitioners within his/her organization.

Carey is a good example, and we are pleased to have him co-teach in Boise. His experience in the QFD Belt® training will be an added benefit for new students who might have questions on how to go about applying QFD in their work or tips for a successful outcome.

PDF Brochures:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

QFD papers/presentations by Carey W. Hepler:

"QFD and Politics - A Sure Way To Start An Argument"
Carey Hepler, QFD Black Belt®, 2010 recipient of Akao Prize, Solantic Urgent Care (USA)
First of its kind, this paper examines using QFD in a political campaign. QFD is the art and science of taking the voice of the customer (VOC), and, more specifically, the top needs of the targeted customer segments, into consideration before developing a product or service. This paper discusses the specific steps of using Modern Blitz QFD® tools for an actual election campaign by his wife for a Florida county judgeship. Specifically, how to: 1) select target segments; 2) use the voice (top needs) of the target segment customers to develop the strategy; 3) create messaging; and 4) deploy the messaging to the targeted segments. [ISBN 1-889477-24-9]

"The QFD Process at Medtronic - Creating the Next Generation of Insulin Pumps and Sensors"
Carey Hepler, QFD Black Belt®, 2010 recipient of Akao Prize, Medtronic; Cary Talbot, QFD Black Belt®, Senior Marketing Product Planner, Medtronic, USA
Changes in technology and customer expectations are creating many new opportunities for medical device organizations. As the oldest and most respected diabetic medical device organization in the world, Medtronic MiniMed strives to stay ahead of the competition by quickly responding to these changes with new and improved insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring products. Recently, we have began using QFD to discover the unspoken customer needs for targeted portions of our population. QFD has allowed us to convert their needs into new products, services, and features to delight and attract new customers as well as retain current customers. This paper will describe some of the new opportunities we are facing, and show step by step how we are addressing them by understanding the Voice of the Customer and innovating and implementing exciting solutions. [ISBN 1-889477-23-0]

Predicting Future Health Insurance Scenarios using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Carey Hepler, QFD Black Belt®, Innovation Director, BCBS of Florida, USA; Glenn Mazur, QFD Red Belt®, QFD Institute, USA
This project used a combination of QFD, AHP, and other forecasting tools to look at possible 2008 election and policy outcomes and what new opportunities might be created to service both traditional members of health insurnce products as well as those who are uninsured in the State of Florida. The identified scenarios can be used to map and prioritize different market segments, formulate key customer needs into value propositions, determine strengths and weaknesses in their current competencies and capabilities, and then initiate service quality projects to begin improving those areas where customers will need them most. Several quality methodologies have been used to design successful products. [ISBN 1-889477-20-6]

The Many Faces of AHP - How to use AHP with Different Audiences for Maximum Results
Carey Hepler, QFD Black Belt®, Innovation Director, BCBS of Florida, USA; Glenn Mazur, QFD Red Belt®, QFD Institute, USA
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) is the oldest and most respected health insurance organization in the State of Florida. This paper discusses the company's use of AHP in terms of audience and technology delivery, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each of the technologies when working with the company's constituent groups. [ISBN 1-889477-19-2]

Finding Customer Delights Using QFD
Carey Hepler, QFD Black Belt®, Integrated Market Intelligence, BCBS of Florida, USA; and Glenn Mazur, QFD Red Belt®, QFD Institute, USA
Changes in market demographics and the regulatory environment are creating many new opportunities for health-care and related organizations. As the oldest and most respected health insurance organization in the State of Florida, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) strives to stay ahead of the competition by using QFD to discover the unspoken customer needs for an underserved portion of our population. QFD has allowed us to convert their needs into new products, services, and features to delight and attract new customers as well as retain current customers. This paper describes some of the new opportunities we are facing, and shows step by step how we are addressing them by understanding the Voice of the Customer and innovating and implementing exciting solutions. [ISBN 1-889477-18-4]




23 June 2019

ISO 16355 and QFD Black Belt Training


The 2019 International Symposium on QFD (ISQFD) in Boise, Idaho in September 2019 inaugurated the first advanced training program since the completion of the ISO 16355 standard for QFD.
  • "How does the QFD Black Belt® facilitator training coordinate with the seven parts of the ISO 16355 standard?"
  • "How will the QFD Black Belt® training help me better implement the standard in my organization?"
  • "Does ISO 16355 standard offer the same level of knowledge as the QFD Black Belt® training?"

You might have these questions.

The fact is, the ISO 16355 standard offers only limited details and examples of the basic and advanced QFD methods and tools. It does not cover the depth and breadth of the QFD process necessary for advanced practitioners, QFD team facilitators, and QFD trainers.

To develop the advanced skills necessary to lead projects and teams through product, service, software design, as well as business transformation of the internal organization, the QFD Black Belt® training is essential.

Why? This page explains in details.

QFD Black Belt® training is strongly recommended for practitioners, facilitators, and trainers of QFD, as well as new product development teams, DFLS/DFSS black belts, and Quality and Innovation champions.

Public QFD Black Belt® Certificate Course:







03 June 2019

 The 25th International Symposium on QFD
 ISO 16355 QFD Training
 September 4 - 13, 2019
 Boise, Idaho USA

The 25th International Symposium on QFD (ISQFD)

September 6 - 7
  • Brochure:    WEB    |    PDF
  • Tutorial "QFD for Business Transformation"

QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course

September 4 - 5
  • Course Contents:   WEB   |   PDF
  • Internationally acclaimed introductory to Modern Blitz QFD®, ISO 16355, No-Matrix QFD
  • Compatible with Six Sigma, DFSS, Stage Gate, EFQM, TQM, Baldrige, and other quality initiatives
  • Start applying tools in the class on your own project or practice on a generic model.
  • No prerequisites.
  • Includes templates for modern QFD / modern House of Quality / AHP, ISO 16355 QFD reference materials, and the International Symposium on QFD (Sep 7-8).

QFD Black Belt® Certificate Course

September 9 - 13
    • Course Details:  WEB   |   PDF
    • Advanced modern QFD®, ISO 16355 for revenue producing new product development, full deployments of modern Comprehensive QFD, Kansei Engineering (Lifestyle QFD), Hoshin Kanri, New Kano Model, TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving), Reverse QFD, and more.
    • 5-day facilitator-level training with hands-on workshop elements. Includes the QFD Black Belt® level templates, ISO 16355 QFD reference materials, over 1,000-page training manual and case studies, plus International Symposium on QFD (Sep 7-8).
    • This course has prerequisites. However, those who select the Facilitator's Package can attend the QFD Black Belt® without prerequisites. 


    QFD Black Belt® Update Course
    September 8 @ 8 am - 3 pm
    • Course Details:   WEB    |    PDF
    • Semi-private coaching / refresher for the past graduates of the QFD Black Belt® course.
    • Registration: Please select "QFD Black Belt® Update Package."  

      QFD Green Belt® Update Course
      September 8 @ 4 pm - 7 pm
      • Course Details:   WEB    |    PDF 
      • Semi-private coaching / refresher for the past graduates of the QFD Green Belt® course, especially those who earned a provisional QFD Green Belt® more than 18 months ago and/or those who wish to advance to the QFD Black Belt® level. 
      • Registration: Please select "QFD Black Belt® Package #1" or "QFD Green Belt® Update Package".


      Venue


      Hampton Inn & Suites Boise Downtown
      495 S. Capitol Blvd.
      Boise, Idaho 83702 USA
      TEL: +1 208-331-1900

      Hotel Reservation page: $140 + taxes
      This hotel provides complimentary shuttle service from Boise Airport (BOI).

      Travel Information



      Contact

      Please contact the QFD Institute if you have questions about the above events.
      We look forward to seeing you in Boise this September.







      28 February 2019

      QFD Security Deployment

      finger vein authentication system
      - graphic by nih.org
      In 2007 International Symposium on QFD, a case study was presented involving the development of a finger vein authentication device for the financial and security industries.

      Initially designed for medical device, this technology captures high-contrast maps of finger veins from an image obtained from light transmission, with the help of artificial intelligence, and matches them to the pre-registered vein patterns to authenticate the identity of an individual.

      At that time, the company, Hitachi Omron Terminal Solutions, Ltd., believed that their system made forgery very difficult because it was the only type of authentication methods that used internal physiological characteristics that are invisible externally and hard to reproduce.

      Fast forward, in December 2018, German researchers reported that they were able to hack this particular security system by replicating a human hand's veins by using off-the-shelf materials.

      So here is yet another example of the never ending cat-and-mouse game played by technologies and hackers.

      How can QFD / ISO 16355 help to build-in better security designs during the produce development process?

      Like in many Systems Engineering problems, it is useful to begin by separating the problem space from the solution space. By creating a vertical Security Deployment, we can look at the problem space from multiple perspectives.

      Here are some possible charts that may be used:
      1. Security Tree Analysis (STA)
      2. Customer Needs - Security Matrix
      3. Functional Requirements - Security Matrix
      4. Function - Security Technology Matrix
      5. System/Subsystem - Security Matrix
      6. Component - Security Matrix
      7. Build - Security Table

      More details on such QFD Security Deployment process are explained at qfdi.org

      Also, the QFD Institute is now developing these new tools for training in a number of industries including health care and IT products and services.

      Today security concern is everybody's business today, not limited to the responsibility of IT and engineering, since a single security breach could wreck an otherwise well-designed new product or a business plan.

      To begin your journey to understanding how ISO QFD tools could be useful for your work, we invite you to the upcoming training.

      © QFD Institute & Glenn Mazur



      05 January 2019

      2019 ISQFD Call For Papers

      speaker at a past ISQFD
      The QFD Institute and International Council for QFD are issuing a Call For Papers / Call For Speakers, for the 25th International Symposium on QFD (ISQFD'19), scheduled for September 6–7, 2019 in Boise, Idaho USA.

      Interested parties are invited to submit a draft paper by February 1, 2019.

      See Details...

      We look forward to your participation.




      March 2019 QFD Workshop


      QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course

      March 7–8, 2019   (Thu–Fri)  

      Detroit Metro Airport, Michigan USA

      • Contact:  Email  |   +1 734-995-0847
      • This course has NO prerequisites.

      Internationally acclaimed introduction to the cutting-edge modern QFD and ISO 16355, the QFD Green Belt® Course will show ways in which Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can solve issues you face in product, service, software, and process development, as well as help identify innovative solutions and new opportunities.
      • What is QFD, what you should and should not do when implementing
      • State-of-the-art QFD curriculum (See Why you should update your QFD practice?)
      • Current best practices and modern tools
      • Modern Voice of Customer analysis
      • Gemba study tools
      • Prioritization using AHP: Analytic Hierarchy Process (templates included)
      • Solid ISO 16355 QFD foundation and sound practices essential for Design for Lean / Six Sigma
      • Introduction to ISO 16355
      • Introduction to Kansei Engineering / Lifestyle Deployment, Hoshin, TRIZ, New Kano Model
      • Modern QFD templates, including AHP, Customer Process Model, Maximum Value Table, modern House of Quality with sound math, and more
      • Hands-on practice of the tools and deployment in the classroom—on your own work project (when possible)
      • The only QFD curriculum approved by Dr. Yoji Akao (founder of QFD), outside Japan
      • After-class support for attendees