2022 Public QFD Training Schedule -- Virtual Workshops

Please mark your calendar. The 2022 public QFD training schedule has been just announced.

Join us this year, to develop new skill-set and/or update your knowledge, to stay on top of your profession. 

All courses will be a live online workshop, with each session lasting 4-hours per day and led by internationally renowned expert(s). You can attend from anywhere in the world over the Internet; no need to travel!

The list below summarizes the 2022 course dates. For details, please visit the individual course brochures. For questions, please contact the QFD Institute.

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QFD Green Belt^® Certificate Course  
Online Brochure   |   PDF Brochure

Internationally acclaimed introductory workshop to ISO 16355 modern QFD. 
4 hours x 3 days (total 12 hours). No prerequisites.

April 4–6 @ 11:00–15:00 EDT (UTC−5:00)
July 19–21 @ 09:00–13:00 Tokyo (UTC+9:00)
October 3–5 @ 09:00–13:00 EDT (UTC−5:00)

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QFD Black Belt^® Update Course
Online Brochure   |   PDF Brochure

4 hours x 2 days, live online, refresher course (total 8 hours)

March 7–8 @ 11:00–15:00 EST (UTC–5:00) 

 

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QFD Green Belt^® Update Course
Online Brochure   |   PDF Brochure

Live online refresher for the past graduates of QFD Green Belt^®

October 7 (4 hrs x 1 day)
The class time will be determined based on attendee preference.

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QFD Black Belt^® Certificate Course
Online Brochure   |   PDF Brochure

Advanced training for project leaders, facilitators, trainers.
4 hours per week x 10 weeks (total 40 hours)

October 10, 17, 24, 31
November 7, 14,
December 5, 12, and 19.
The class time will be determined based on attendee preference.

 

 

 

 

 

2021 QFD Black Belt® Course

 Online Brochure  |  PDF Brochure  

Registration Forms:  PDF or MS Word

 

Starting September 2021, the QFD Institute will be offering the QFD Black Belt^® Certificate Course as a live virtual training, using the Zoom platform. 

This facilitator-level advanced course consists of ten 4-hour sessions (40 hours total), currently planned to start in the week of  September 13–17, 2021. 

Those who would like to attend are invited to send their registrations soon — because the dates and time zone will be finalized based on attendee preferences, after their registration forms are received.

Registration Options:

• You have a Full QFD Green Belt^® (with a Gold seal on your certificate):
  Please select [QFD Black Belt^® only] on the registration form.
  

• You attended a QFD Green Belt^® in 2020 or 2021:
  Select [QFD Black Belt^® only] on the registration form.

• You have a Provisional QFD Green Belt^® from 2019 or earlier courses:
  Select [QFD Update Package] on the registration form.
  

• You are attending the July 2021 QFD Green Belt^®:
  Select [QFD Facilitator's Package] on the registration form.
  
  

We look forward to your joining us in this new virtual training. For questions, please contact us.

PS: You might be also interested in
July 26–28, 2021 QFD Green Belt^® Certificate Course
@ 11am–3pm EST (New York time)

March 2020 QFD Workshop

QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course

March 19–20, 2019
Online Brochure

We now offer this course as a live online training workshop. Please visit the Calendar page for the upcoming course dates, or contact the QFD Institute if you have questions.

• Internationally acclaimed introductory to Modern Blitz QFD^®, ISO 16355, No-Matrix QFD.
• Compatible with QS-9000, 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.

Contact

For questions, please contact us (email).

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

• Details:  https://ciiqualitysummit.in/master-class/

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.

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.

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 Green Belt^® Certificate Course

• The 25th International Symposium on QFD

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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]

March 2019 QFD Workshop

QFD Green Belt^® Certificate Course

March 7–8, 2019   (Thu–Fri)  

Detroit Metro Airport, Michigan USA

• Online Brochure

• PDF Brochure

•  Registration: US$2,145 per person

• Venue: Hampton Inn & Suites Detroit/Airport-Romulus

• 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

Modern QFD - ISO 16355 training in EU-Baltic

 QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course         

17th - 18th January, 2017
from 8:30 to 17:00 on both days
Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia

• Online Brochure
• PDF Brochure
• Registration

We are pleased to bring this exceptional learning opportunity in partnership with the Estonian Association for Quality (EAQ).

Please join us in this Modern Blitz QFD^® and ISO 16355 workshop for innovation, new product development, and business process design.

This 2-day course will be taught in English by Glenn H. Mazur, the world's leading expert in the theory and practice of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and the new ISO 16355.

To attend, reserve your seat in this class, or to inquire, please contact QFD Institute or EAQ office (our local partner) now.

Where

Click for Google map

This course will be held at Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences (Eesti Ettevõtleuskõrgkool Mainor; address: Suur-Sõjamäe 10a, Tallinn, Estonia).

This university is about about 3 minutes (1.5 km) by car from Tallinn Airport (airport code: TLL), and about 15 minutes (5.5 km) by car from the Old City Harbour / Vanasadam.

We look forward to welcoming you in this class.

As always, please contact us if you have questions about this course, other training dates, or QFD ISO 16355.

ISO QFD Training in EU

Here are upcoming opportunities for those who live in EU and surrounding regions.

These events can help you learn how to comply with the new ISO 16355 and modern QFD methods.

Stay ahead of your competitors who may be still using an outdated House of Quality and conventional approaches. Most important, enhance your professional skills, business performance, and career with the best QFD training.

• 25–27 May 2016
  QFD Green Belt^® training
  at Laatukeskus Excellence Finland (Keilaranta 16, 02150)
  Espoo, FINLAND
  Please register by 21st May, to assure your seat and training materials.
   
  
• 31 May 2016  (from 10:00 to 15:00)
  Introduction to ISO 16355
  Half-day seminar at the European Organization for Quality Congress
  at Laatukeskus Excellence Finland (Keilaranta 16, 02150)
  Espoo, FINLAND
   
  
• 1 June 2016  (@ 13:30)
  ISO 16355: A Quality Approach to New Product Development
  at the European Organization for Quality Congress
  (Track "Quality Tools and Business Improvement" )
  Helsinki, FINLAND

Speaking on Innovation, Quality and QFD tools and methods

Have you been wanting to learn more about Innovation, Quality, and Modern QFD?  The latest tools and methods?  The kind of information that you can use right away in your work?

Here are upcoming opportunities that are open to the public:

September 19, 2015 ASQ Innovation Conference 2015 Lecture "Quality Fitness-Focused Innovation" Charlottesville, Virginia USA
September 25–26, 2015 International Symposium on QFD Hangzhou, CHINA
October 26–27, 2015 World Quality Forum Budapest, HUNGARY
November 4–5, 2015 QFD Green Belt® Certificate Course Calgary, Alberta CANADA
November 6, 2015 ASQ Calgary Quality Conference Keynote "Mine Your Own Business: Reverse QFD Method" Calgary, Alberta CANADA
November 9–10, 2015 ASQ International Conference on Quality Standards Indianapolis, Indiana USA

We look forward to seeing you there!

QFD training in Dallas and Istanbul

Here are two opportunities to learn the modern QFD and best practices from one of the top QFD instructors around the world.  

Both courses include your copy of the Modern QFD training manual, Modern QFD templates, and case studies. No Prerequisites.

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 May 7–8, 2014

QFD Green Belt^® Certificate Course

Dallas, Texas USA

This course will be held conveniently following the 2014 ASQ World Congress, in a venue next door. Registration is in progress. The attendees of this course will be eligible for the December 2014 QFD Black Belt^® Certificate Course in Charleston (a discount will be offered). 

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September 2–3, 2014

QFD Green Belt^® Certificate Course 

Istanbul, Turkey

This course will be held conveniently at the same venue as the 2014 International Symposium on QFD. To mark the inaugural QFD course in Istanbul, the QFD Institute is offering significant price breaks for early registrations. We encourage you to take advantage of this and sign up now!

I'd like my QFD sunny-side up!

You've earned your Spring Break from the coldest, snowiest winter in recent memory.
Come to Orlando, Florida for the next QFD Green Belt^® training course on March 6–7, 2014.

Learn modern QFD tools to translate voice of customer into unspoken customer needs, get accurate priorities, and operationalize innovative solutions to what matters most.

Blitz QFD^® uses simple Excel sheets (provided) to feed into, and often replace, the House of Quality and other matrices. Can be applied to systems, modules, components — for hardware, software, service, and healthcare. Bring your own project for the workshops.

Online Brochure   |   PDF Brochure   |   Registration

The course has these components:

• Workshop 1: Defining project goals and outcomes. (Project Goals Table)

• Workshop 2: Defining key customers and stakeholders, and their applications/scenarios. (Customer Segments Table)

• Workshop 3: Planning customer visits (gemba) to see for ourselves, and model what they say and do. (Customer Process Model)

• Workshop 4: Documenting what goes right (and is to be protected) and wrong (and is to be improved) based on voice of customer and observational study. (Gemba Visit Table)

• Workshop 5: Translate voice of customer into true customer needs, both spoken and unspoken. (Customer Voice Table)

• Workshop 6: Structure customers needs to find missing ones. (Affinity Diagram and Hierarchy Diagram).

• Workshop 7: Prioritize customer needs. (Analytic Hierarchy Process).

• Workshop 8: Deploy high priority needs into solution requirements and concepts. Assure quality in deliver. (Maximum Value Table).

• Discussion on advanced QFD tools for competitive assessment (Quality Planning Table), complex projects (Modern House of Quality), Emotional Quality (Kansei Engineering), etc.

• Implementing QFD in your organization.

Course includes workbook, Excel tool templates for workshops, and related case studies. Bring your own projects for the workshops.

Report from the 2013 International Symposium on QFD

On September 4 - 13, 2013, the QFD enthusiasts from around the world gathered together in Santa Fe, New Mexico for the 19th International Symposium on QFD and Training. It was attended from as far as Brazil, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Sweden, Thailand, The Netherlands, Turkey, Canada and USA.

We learned the latest case studies and research, innovative new tools and applications, as well as the international trends. The face-to-face interactions were priceless even in this digital age. We made new friends, renewed old friendships, and learned from each other, getting inspired to do things even better at work and home with the help of QFD.

If you missed this year's event, we do hope you will join us next year (see below for 2014 Calls For Papers). Meanwhile, here are some of the highlights from the 2013 events:
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Akao Prize^® is awarded to individuals who have made notable contribution to the dissemination and advancement of QFD for many years on the international level. The 2013 Akao Prize^® was awarded to Sixten Schockert (GERMANY) and Yoshimichi Watanabe (JAPAN).

Recipients of this year's and past Akao Prize® at 2013 ISQFD
(Dr. Akao, front center, is flanked by this year's recipients)

Best Paper - SCG Chemicals, Thailand

Best Paper Award: "Quality Function Deployment for New Product Development: Transforming Waste to Worth" By Pattarit Sahasyodhin (SCG Chemicals); Kritaya Suparnpongs, QFD Black Belt^® (Siam Cement Group); Paweena Lertchanyakul, QFD Green Belt^® (SCG Chemicals), THAILAND.  

Best Presentation - Tamagawa University, Japan

Best Presentation Award: "A Study of Service Quality Improvement Using the Theories of Nonverbal Communication, FMEA and QFD" By Kazushi Nagai (Tamagawa University); Tadashi Ohfuji (Tamagawa University); Masamitsu Kiuchi, Ph.D. (Josai University), JAPAN. 

2013 QFD Black Belt^® Graduates

QFD Belts^® Achievement: Once again, we salute those who rose to the challenge of earning the QFD Green Belt^® and QFD Black Belt^® in Santa Fe. Congratulations.

Dr. & Mrs. Akao

Dr. Yoji Akao, founder of QFD, remains just as enthusiastic about learning new case studies and students as he was nearly half a century ago when he began the research that led to the development of QFD.

Native American blessing

Native American Blessing. The QFD attendees were honored to receive this special blessing, performed by the tribal governor of Picuris Pueblo, one of the Eight Northern Pueblos in the Santa Fe region.


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Join us in 2014! 

2014 QFD Call For Papers

• The 26th Symposium on QFD (Fall 2014 in USA)

• The 20th International Symposium on QFD (September 4-5, 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey)

2013 International Symposium on QFD & Public QFD Courses

For anyone wanting to find out how QFD is used today in real projects, innovative new tools and current best practices, better integration with DFLS and other initiatives, and what international markets are using QFD to their advantage, here are the annual QFD events that are perfect for you:

September 4–5 : QFD Green Belt^® Certificate Course

September 6–7 : The 19th International Symposium on QFD   See presentation schedule

September 8 : QFD Black Belt^® UPDATE and QFD Green Belt^® UPDATE

September 9–13 : QFD Black Belt^® Certificate Course


Registrations for QFD courses will be accepted up to 1 day before the start of the respective courses. The Symposium accepts walk-ins. In any case, we recommend contacting the QFD Institute as soon as you decide, so as to ensure your seat, materials, and meals.

Venue: Hotel Santa Fe

All events will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. Please see Venue details and Travel information.

This year's International Symposium will have keynote addresses by Dr. Yoji Akao (founder of QFD) and Glenn Mazur (executive director of QFDI) and case studies and research from Germany, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, and USA. See here for details.

The QFD courses include the modern QFD templates which also include the House of Quality matrix with modernized math, AHP, Customer Voice Table, Maximum Value Table, etc.

We hope you will be able to join us.