Quality function deployment and its applicability in the food sector: An integrated approach with kano's model

Quality Function Deployment (QFD), by identifying customer requirements andneeds and hereafter by helping to develop products and services according to thoseneeds, becomes one of the most important methods giving the companies adopting TotalQuality Management approach a competitive advantage in their markets.Kano?s model assumes that meeting customer requirements does not contributeto customer satisfaction proportionally for each requirement type and departing fromthis viewpoint it categorizes customer requirements into three main groups. (i.e.expected, existing and exciting)Integrating Kano?s model into QFD makes it possible to develop better productsand services and gives a chance to attain a satisfaction level that is well beyond justmeeting expectations which results in long-term customer loyalty.In the application part of the thesis, it was analyzed via Kano?s model whether ornot the customer requirements differ in different market segments of a food productbased on demographic variables. Besides, a statistical comparison of mean importancelevels of the mentioned requirements in these segments was investigated throughvariance analysis. Data gathered from both analyses were used in the House of Qualityto elicit technical requirements for a firm?s product in that market. In the end, it cameout that such an integrated approach can provide a robust map in the productimprovement endeavor.A second study carried out at the same firm shows the same methodology canalso be applied in fields like strategic planning rather than just product improvement