Showing posts with label healthcare QFD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthcare QFD. Show all posts

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:
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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]




23 October 2014

Healthcare QFD examples - October 30, 2014 in Orlando, Florida

Modern QFD has been used successfully in the healthcare industry, from clinical gemba such as hospitals and medical labs, to health insurance industry and medical device development including Electronic Medical Records.

Healthcare QFD methods and tools will be presented on October 30, 2014 at ASQ Technical Communities Conference in Orlando, Florida USA.

The talk, "Delighting Customers in Health Care Using QFD" (1:45 pm - 2:45 pm), will share the case studies of a hospital, healthcare insurance company, and medical device development to show how you, too, can acquire, analyze, prioritize, and innovate solutions for the Voice of Customer.

We hope you will be able to join us!







14 May 2014

The Quality Conference Crush has begun…

Well, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) World Conference on Quality Improvement (WCQI) has come and gone, and I must say for me, it was a tremendous success.

Hilton Anatole Dallas was ASQ WCQI venue
First, it was held in what could only be described as a museum of Asian art – the Hilton Anatole in Dallas Texas. Yes, it took 20 minutes to walk across the lobby to the ASQ center, but the art and the gardens were a welcomed distraction to stave off the fatigue of doing this 3-4 times a day. (I lost a pound of weight despite the never-ending buffets for lunch and dinner!)

Presentations by leading CEOs, a sketch artist, and others reminded us that quality should also include – fun!  2015 is in Nashville at the OpryLand, so I recommend y'all come on down

ASQ Division meetings I attended for Healthcare and Service are revising their Body of Knowledges (BOK) and I am pushing to modernize the QFD entries. Some of them are stuck in the 1980s!  I also popped in to the TAG 176 meeting to hear the latest on ISO 9001-2015. This is a BIG thing.

Concurrent with the ASQ were the annual U.S. meetings of the International Academy for Quality (IAQ) of which I am now Secretary-Treasurer. Our general meeting included updates on work with UNESCO educations projects, work on quality in governance. We had really great introductions on design of experiments for wine and the growth in food and product safety testing in China. I also learned a lot from a presentation on the early philosophers whose work is often cited by quality professionals.
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Coming up is the IAQ concurrent meetings with the European Organization for Quality (EOQ) to be held in Gothenburg Sweden in June. I'll be presenting a Pre-Congress workshop and a paper on the new ISO 16355 standard for QFD being developed.

The ISO 16355 QFD standard is going into its first draft to be reviewed in June in Vienna, so I'll be traveling there after Sweden. Stay informed with the ISO 16355 group on LinkedIn.

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2014 ISQFD in Istanbul
Istanbul Turkey is my next stop. The basics of the Modern Blitz QFD® and the ISO 16355 standard will be taught at the International QFD Green Belt® course on 2-3 September 2014. We're running a great early bird discount, so register soon.

On 4-5 September is the International Symposium on QFD (ISQFD) where we will celebrate 20 years of this annual get-together of the top QFD professionals in the world. Especially folks in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, we are close to home.

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The ASQ Technical Communities Conference has invited me to Orlando Florida (yeah Mickey!) to present "Delighting Customers in Health Care using QFD" on 30-31 October 2014. This will include updates on recent projects in clinical, medical device, software, and insurance applications. 
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For three consecutive years, Charleston was named
the top U.S. destination by Conde Nest readers.
Charleston SC is our chosen spot for the North American Symposium on QFD.

Our 26th consecutive program still has the Call for Papers open (we want you!) and will include updates on ISO 16355.

 As always, we will offer the QFD Green Belt®, QFD Black Belt® and the Update courses.

Some great package discounts await your registration.  

So, wherever you are this year, try to catch one of these events. At the least, stay in touch because your official source for QFD is on the move.

 glenn