From art to science in innovation of non-assembled products in the process industries
WHY do you need methodology support like QFD in product and process innovation?
Product innovation is a process that always must start and finish together with the customers; the drivers for the process are the customers’ needs and their willingness to pay for the product a company develops, produces and supplies. A customer focus is thus generally emphasized and preached as an overall company strategic intent. WHY a customer focus is important in product innovation is thus generally agreed upon, and pretty obvious. However, product development teams often run into trouble HOW such an approach could be well-accomplished in day-to-day operational activities and providing answers to the following questions:
- Is your Sales & Marketing organization progressing present, new, and future customer product requirements, ideas and wishes into your R&D organization in a systematic interactive on-going process, or are such activities of a more ad hoc nature?
- Are new product and process target figures for screening product- and process concepts in the fuzzy front end of pre-product innovation traceable to customer needs and competitive product information?
- How do you integrate sustainability demands with your customer’s functional product demands during the development of novel product and related process concepts?
- How do you translate the importance of customer product requirements in different market segments into fact-based and measurable product specifications (product attributes) for new or improved products?
- How do you transfer your new product specifications into requirement on your production system – design for manufacturability (processability)?
- Since knowledge expressed in words and numbers is only the “tip of the iceberg” in product innovation, how does your company methodically capture and use both “explicit” and “unspoken tacit” knowledge about customers, competitors and products?
- How do you capture, integrate and transfer the knowledge base from new or improved product innovation projects into a digitized, accessible, knowledge platform for the development of your next product generation?
In today’s competitive industrial climate, in times of tight company resources, and a need to continually improve company innovation performance, the use of facilitating tools and development methodologies is usually a viable route to follow. Which methodology have you selected and use to facilitate and support your company product innovation work process that give adequate answers to the above questions?
HOW can the deployment of the mpQFD methodology assist in your development of non-assembled products?
The key to successful product innovation and renovation is an integration of knowledge along the total value/supply chain in an end-to-end perspective, and product and process innovation projects in the process industries sometimes have a timespan that lasts many years and are often also rather costly. For these reasons, it is vitally important for a company to take advantage of learning from previous innovation experiences and to continually improve its knowledge base. Companies cannot afford to start from a “clean slate” if they want to develop products in a cost-efficient manner and a reasonable timeframe. In order to rectify such a state of affairs, product innovation work processes and projects must start from easily retrievable and previously accumulated company platforms of knowledge. The QFD is an instrument that will help you to create such Integrated Knowledge Platforms (IKPs).
QFD can be defined as a cross-functional product innovation methodology, and as an investment in an improved understanding about customers and competitors. Using the QFD methodology in product innovation you create a retrievable and accumulated company knowledge base coupled with improved company communication. You will get better decision support assisting in the development of better product specifications resulting in better products and ultimately leading to better overall customer satisfaction. Take advantage of the following three well-proven benefits from the use of the QFD methodology in product innovation:
- Create a reliable and fact-based interface between the company and its customers – an innovation approach in the spirit of good old TQM
- Promote company cross-functional product innovation – use QFD as an instrument to bridge organizational interfaces.
- Address the fuzzy front end of product innovation – a proactive use of QFD on the company’s upfront product innovation activities.
Please connect to our new brochure on QFD and design-led innovation.
Take advantage in the use of the blinab QFD methodology “toolbox” in support of your product innovation work process
Learn how the use the QFD methodology in a process-industrial context with our book: “Contemporary Quality Funktion Deployment”.
Please connect with our new flyer on the book
Digitize, save, and communicate information related to each product family in individual product matrices in use of the QFD Designer software™.
Purchase a QFD Designer™ license from blinab and get one hour of free online application support for the design of your first QFD project.
Please connect with our flyer on the use of QFD Designer ™
Secure a successful QFD-project outcome with blinab “online QFD mentorship” support and services – interact with the author of the QFD book
Get access to the author of the QFD book and take advantage of blinab “online QFD mentorship” for an agile project execution using online application support from Thomas Lager in the development and execution of your QFD project. Take advantage of his professional general expertise in the area of innovation of non-assembled products and as a seasoned facilitator in the implementation and use of QFD in many sectors of the process industries. Our stepwise online support will be tailor-made to your project needs but is usually including:
Planning and organization of the select innovation project in the perspective of design-led innovation and use of the mpQFD methodology. Answering FAQ and application support in the use of the QFD Designer™ software.
Assisting in an agile project execution and the development of the “Voice of the Customer” and utilizing supplementary market research methodologies. Creation of an embryonal House of Quality structure, and matrix reviews at appropriate time intervals.
Securing a “fast-track” QFD implementation and flexible methodology use in simultaneous matrix development and in a lean QFD approach. Support during matrix analysis and the use of HoQ in target setting for new or improved product and process concepts.
For further information on how to order the book, purchase a QFD Designer ™ software, or set-up our on-line mentorship service, please contact Gunilla Bergdahl, gunilla.bergdahl@blinab.com