Journal of Material Science and Mechanical Engineering (JMSME)

Print ISSN: 2393-9095; Online ISSN: 2393-9109; Volume 2, Number 5; April-June, 2015 pp. 415-419
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Quality Function Deployment in Tube

Forming Industry: A Case Study
Akshay D. Kulkarni1, Ashish S. Bhalerao2, B.M. Dabade3 and J. G. Naphade4
1,2
B. Tech (Production Engineering) S.G.G.S.I.E&T, Nanded
3,4
S.G.G.S.I.E&T, Nanded
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected],
1
3
[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract—Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-driven consideration of the requirements or "what's" at each stage of
approach for processing new product developments in order to this translation process and provide a mechanism to
maximize customer satisfaction. Each engineering design communicate hidden knowledge - knowledge that is known by
characteristic is maximized for product performance according to the one individual or department but may not otherwise be
level of customer satisfaction.
In this paper, an attempt has been made to examine the applicability
communicated through the organization. The structure of this
of QFDas a strategic decision-making tool after the tube forming methodology helps development personnel understand
industry to determine the best marketing strategy, to make a essential requirements, internal capabilities, and constraints
comparison between the performances of different competitors and to and design the product so that everything is in place to achieve
transfer the experience gained from the current project to the the desired outcome - a satisfied customer. Quality Function
forthcoming projects. For this purpose, a QFD team has been formed Deployment helps development personnel maintain a correct
to collect and verify the expectations of the customer profile of the focus on true requirements and minimizes misinterpreting
sample project, which was a high-rise forming industry (Suraj Tubes customer needs. As a result, QFD is an effective
Pvt. Ltd) located in Nanded, Maharashtra. The case study findings communications and a quality planning tool. Quality function
demonstrated that QFD could be successfully applied in the forming
industry as a strategic tool to facilitate marketing decisions. As a
deployment (QFD) is a customer-oriented design tool with
result of extensive literature review and the case study observations, cross-functional team members reaching a consensus in
finally critical success factorsare proposed to improve the developing a new or improved product to increase customer
performance of the QFD methodology in forming industry. satisfaction. QFD starts with the house of quality (HOQ),
which is a planning matrix translating the customer needs, into
1. INTRODUCTION measurable product technical requirements (PTRs). The basic
concept of QFD is to translate the desires of customers, i.e. the
Quality must be designed into the product, not inspected into voice of customer, into product technical requirements (PTRs)
it. Quality can be defined as meeting customer needs and or engineering characteristics, and subsequently into parts
providing superior value. This focus on satisfying the characteristics, process plans and production requirements. In
customer's needs places an emphasis on techniques such as order to establish these relationships QFD usually requires
Quality Function Deployment to help understand those needs four matrices: product planning, parts planning, process
and plan a product to provide superior value. Quality Function planning, and production planning matrices, respectively.
Deployment (QFD) is a structured approach to defining Product planning matrix translates customer needs into
customer needs or requirements and translating them into product design requirements; part planning matrix translates
specific plans to produce products to meet those needs. important design requirements into product/part
While the Quality Function Deployment matrices are a good characteristics; process planning matrix translates important
communication tool at each step in the process, the matrices product/part characteristics into manufacturing operations;
are the means and not the end. The real value is in the process production/operation planning matrix translates important
of communicating and decision-making with QFD. QFD is manufacturing Operations into day-to-day operations and
oriented toward involving a team of people representing the controls.
various functional departments that have involvement in
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
product development: Marketing, Design Engineering, Quality
Assurance, Manufacturing/ Manufacturing Engineering, Test After World War II, the concept of product development
Engineering, Finance, Product Support, etc. The active evolved from copying and imitation to a product development
involvement of these departments can lead to balanced based on originality. The importance of design quality became
416 Akshay D. Kulkarni, Ashish S. Bhalerao, B.M. Dabade and J. G. Naphade

apparent. This dramatic change entailed the development of a and perceptions of quality in relation to cost. Quality Function
totally new concept, the QFD. QFD was first conceptualized Deployment (QFD), as a customer-driven tool, is generally
in the late 1960s[1]. It was immediately adapted by various used in the early phase of new or improved products/services
companies but it did not draw much public attention. A few design process, and therefore most of the input parameters are
years later, in 1972, QFD was implemented at the Kobe highly subjective in nature. The five major input components
shipyards of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Even though its of the QFD, which are laid in the House of Quality (HOQ),
application was followed by successful implementations namely, the customer requirement, the technical attribute, the
throughout Japan, e.g. at Toyota, it remained a Japanese tool relationship matrix, the correlation matrix, and the
until the early 1980s[1]. Each is generally defined to depend benchmarking information, play a central role in determining
on a comparative judgment against the some standard which the success of QFD team[6].
depends on disconfirmation of expectations. Thus
Essentially, the QFD starts and ends with the customer. The
dissatisfaction may be due to inherently poor service, or
Voice of Customer (VOC) is the main driver and will be
perhaps to competitive marketing of improved standards or
propagated through all subsequent downstream processes, and
changing customer tastes.
as a result, greater customer satisfaction is created in the end
Being able to perform new product development (NPD) in a product/service. According to a study by the two most critical
short lead time and at a minimum cost isone of core factors for factors that determine the QFD’s successful use in providing
improving competitiveness in the global market. As far as definite strategic product development benefits are the high
product planning and development decisions are concerned, commitment of all team members in all functional areas, and
the use of quality function deployment (QFD) has gained the paradigm that treats QFD as a cross-functional investment
extensive international support. QFD is a widely used in people and information [7].The QFD technique can improve
customer-driven design and manufacturing tool originated in the accuracy and reliability of an assessment outcome
Japan in the late 1960s [1]. Generally QFD utilizes four sets of instrument. This is mainly because the QFD technique is
matrices called houses of quality (HOQ)to relate the customer effective in prioritizing and assigning weight to the items in
requirements (CRs) to product planning, parts deployment, the scale. This research successfully developed a reliable risk
process planning and manufacturing operations [2]. When assessment scale to diagnose neck and shoulder symptoms
organizations direct their efforts towards meeting the customer using QFD technique. This scale was proven to have high
requirements (CRs), internal conflict minimizes, development accuracy and closely represents reality [8].
cycle time shortens, market penetration increases, product
quality improves, and customer satisfaction increases, 3. HOUSE OF QUALITY
resulting in higher revenues.
The primary element of QFD, the house of quality (HOQ) is a
HOQ matrices have been frequently used in the industry to matrix style chart that correlates Customer attributes called
help design team undergo product planning, i.e., capture the ``what’s’’ with technical characteristics called “How’s.'' The
CRs by assessing customer preferences, convert those HOQ is a kind of conceptual map that provides the means for
attributes into engineering characteristics (ECs) and then inter functional planning and communication. It usually has
determine the target levels for ECs of new/improved products six sub-matrices including customer attributes, technical
to match or exceed performance of all competitors in the characteristics, a relationship matrix, a planning matrix,
target market with limited organizational resources[3]. It is a technical correlations, and a technical matrix.
complex decision process with multiple variables to determine
the target levels.
In practice, it is normally accomplished in a subjective, ad hoc
manner, or a heuristic way, such as using prioritization-based
methods to yield feasible design, rather than an optimal one.
In order to enhance the QFD methodology, developing more
reasonable and effective modeling approach for product
planning to determine the target values for ECs of a product,
towards the maximum degree of customer satisfaction within
limited recourses is usually the focus in the HOQ [4].
The customer is the person or organization receiving the
outcome of the operation. The quality of the service is realized
with the customer and is interpreted/perceived by the
customer. The main task of service development is to create
the prerequisites for services which the customer perceives to
be attractive [5]. This presupposes that the company has a
Fig. 1: House of Quality
thorough understanding of the customer's needs, expectations

Journal of Material Science and Mechanical Engineering (JMSME)

Print ISSN: 2393-9095; Online ISSN: 2393-9109; Volume 2, Number 5; April-June, 2015
Quuality Functionn Deployment in
i Tube Forminng Industry: A Case Study 417

Thhe "voice of the t customer" is the term to t describe thhese I] Insuure the custom mer needs or requirements reflect the
staated and unstateed customer neeeds or requireements. The vooice dessired market segment(s). Adddress the unsppoken needs
of the customerr is captured in a variety of ways: dirrect (assumed and exxcitement capaabilities). If thee number of
disscussion or innterviews, surrveys, focus groups,g custom
mer neeeds or requireements exceedds twenty to thirtyt items,
speecifications, obbservation, waarranty data, field
f reports, etc.
e deccompose the matrix
m into smalller modules orr subsystems
Thhis understanding of the custo omer needs is then summarizzed to reduce the nuumber of requuirements in a matrix. For
in a product plaanning matrix or "house off quality". Thhese eacch need or reqquirement, staate the custom mer priorities
maatrices are used to translate higher level "what's"
" or neeeds usinng a 1 to 5 raating. Use rankking techniques and paired
intto lower level "how's" - pro oduct requiremments or techniical commparisons to deevelop prioritiees.
chaaracteristics too satisfy thesee needs. Most of the data that t
II] Evaaluate prior generation prodducts against competitive
QF FD uses are linguistic
l in nature.
n For exxample, custom mer
prooducts. Use surveys,
s custoomer meetinggs or focus
reqquirements aree often vaguee and loosely stated, such as:
grooups/clinics to obtain feedbback. Include competitor's
``eeasy to use,'' ```safe,'' and ``ccomfortable''. QFD
Q is broadlyy a
cusstomers to gett a balanced perspective.
p Iddentify price
tottal quality maanagement (TQ QM) implemenntation techniqque
poiints and maarket segmennts for prodducts under
reqquiring clear assessment of o client/end-uuser expectatioons
evaaluation. Identtify warranty,, service, reliiability, and
apaart from the basic
b needs of a project to convert
c them into
cusstomer compllaint problem ms to identify fy areas of
dessign targets.
impprovement.
III] Estaablish product requirements or technical chharacteristics
to respond to cuustomer requirrements and organize
o into
relaated categoriess. Characteristtics should be meaningful,
meeasurable, and global. Charaacteristics shouuld be stated
in a way to avoidd implying a particular technnical solution
so as
a not to constrrain designers..
IV] Devvelop relationsships between customer
c requiirements and
prooduct requirem ments or techhnical characteeristics. Use
symmbols for stronng, medium andd weak relationnships.
V] Develop a technicaal evaluation of
o prior generattion products
andd competitive products. Get access to competitive
prooducts to perfoorm product or technical beenchmarking.
Perrform this evaaluation basedd on the definned product
Fig. 2: QFD
D Format [3] reqquirements or teechnical characcteristics.
VI] D
Develop preliiminary targeet values f
for product
reqquirements or teechnical characcteristics.
VII] Determine potenntial positive and negative interactions
bettween product requirements or o technical chharacteristics
usinng symbols foor strong or meedium, positivee or negative
relaationships. Tooo many positive interactions suggest
pottential redunddancy in "thhe critical few" product
reqquirements orr technical characteristics.
c Focus on
neggative interacttions - consider product concepts or
techhnology to overcome
o thesse potential tradeoff's
t or
connsider the tradeeoff's in establiishing target vaalues.
VII] Caalculate importaance ratings.
XI] Devvelop a difficuulty rating (1 to
t 5 point scalee, five being
F
Fig. 3: Four Ph
hases of QFD [33] verry difficult andd risky) for eaach product reqquirement or
techhnical characteeristic.
4. QFD METH
HODOLOGY X] Anaalyze the matriix and finalizee the product development
d
straategy and prooduct plans. Determine
D requuired actions
Onnce customer needs
n are identiified, preparatiion of the prodduct andd areas of foccus. To maintain focus on "the critical
plaanning matrix or
o "house of qu uality" can beggin. The sequennce few
w", less signifficant items maym be ignored with the
of preparing the product
p planninng matrix is ass follows:

Journal
J of Matterial Science and
a Mechanicaal Engineering (JMSME)
Print ISSN: 2393-9095; Online
O ISSN: 23393-9109; Vollume 2, Numbeer 5; April-Junee, 2015
418 Akshay D. Kulkarni, Ashish S. Bhalerao, B.M. Dabade and J. G. Naphade

subsequent QFD matrices. Maintain the product planning Following House of Quality shows that two parameters are
matrix as customer requirements or conditions change. most important for work on it.

5. CASE STUDY: QFD IN TUBE FORMING According to Customer requirements

INDUSTRY 1. Dimensional Stability
2. Hardness
QFD implementation we selected one medium scale Tube
According to Technical Requirements
forming industry in Nanded, Maharastra. QFD team has been
formed to collect and verify the expectations of the customer1. Material Properties
profile of the sample project, which was a high-rise forming2. Quality
industry Suraj Tubes Pvt. Ltd. located in Nanded,
Maharashtra. Is the one of the leading producers and suppliers
of steel pipes, hollow sections, tubes and a variety of other
galvanized products.
Problem Statement:
Objective:
The case study findings demonstrated that QFD could be
successfully applied in the forming industry as a strategic tool
to facilitate marketing decisions. As a result of extensive
literature review and the case study observations; finally
critical success factors are proposed to improve the
performance of the QFD methodology in forming industry.
Following are the some customer requirements, they collected
through different customers feedback & verify it.
 Customer Requirements
Fig. 4: House of Quality in Tube Forming Industry
1. Robust Feature
2. Dimensional Stability 6. CONCLUSION
3. Corrosion Resistance
4. Durability It is observed that two main customer requirements are
5. Aesthetic look Dimensional Stability, Hardness.
6. Short lead time For this, we need to fulfill other technical requirements like
7. Chemical coating Tolerance, Material Properties, Chemical Composition, &
8. Cost Quality. Quality Function Deployment (QFD), is a customer-
9. Hardness driven tool, is generally used in the early phase of new or
10. Easy to use/ Safety improved products.
 Technical Requirements 7. FUTURE SCOPE
1. Chemical Composition
2. Supply chain Management QFD in tube forming industry improved by using Fuzzy
3. Tolerance technique.
4. Physical/ Material Properties
REFERENCES
5. Mechanical Properties
6. Quality [1] RichardY.K. Funga,Yizeng Chen, Jiafu Tang, “Estimating the
7. Cycle time functional relationships for quality function deployment under
uncertainties”, Fuzzy Sets and Systems 157 (2006) 98–120
8. Manufacturing Process
[2] Kwang-Jae Kim, Herbert Moskowitz, AnoopDhingra, Gerald
9. Temperature/ Coolant Evans, “Theory and Methodology,Fuzzy multicriteria models
10. Maintenance for quality function deployment”, European Journal of
11. Design & Analysis. Operational Research 121 (2000) 504-518
[3] IremDikmen_,M. TalatBirgonul, SemihaKiziltas, “Strategic use
According to above Technical & Customer
of quality function deployment (QFD) in the construction
requirements formed QFD’s House of Quality. industry”, Building and Environment 40 (2005) 245–255
They are following :

Journal of Material Science and Mechanical Engineering (JMSME)

Print ISSN: 2393-9095; Online ISSN: 2393-9109; Volume 2, Number 5; April-June, 2015
Quality Function Deployment in Tube Forming Industry: A Case Study 419

[4] Hendry Raharjo, Aarnout C. Brombacher, Min Xie, “Dealing

with subjectivity in early product design phase: A systematic
approach to exploit Quality Function Deployment potentials”,
Centre for Design Technology, National University of
Singapore, Singapore 2007
[5] X .X . SHEN, K. C. TAN and M. XIE, “The implementation of
quality functiondeployment based on linguistic data, Journal of
Intelligent Manufacturing”, 12, 65-75, 2001
[6] E. Ertugrul Karsak, SevinSozer, S. EmreAlptekin, “Product
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[7] A. I. A. Costa, M. Dekker, W. M. F. Jongen, “QFD in Food
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[8] Sabine Matook, “Improving the quality of process reference
models: A quality function deployment-based approach”,
University of Queensland, UQ Business School, Qld 4072,
Australia

Journal of Material Science and Mechanical Engineering (JMSME)

Print ISSN: 2393-9095; Online ISSN: 2393-9109; Volume 2, Number 5; April-June, 2015