Title: Innovative Quality Function Deployment in an Indian automobile electrical accessories manufacturing company: an implementation study

Authors: R.A. Sankaran, V. Senthil, S.R. Devadasan, Ethish Babu

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jayam College of Engineering and Technology, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jayam College of Engineering, Nallanu, Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a popular technique employed for converting customer|s vague languages into technically understandable languages. Thus the application of QFD results in customer satisfaction. During recent years, customers| expectation has exceeded satisfaction and reached the level of demanding innovation. Hence a need has arisen to integrate Innovation Management (IM) principles with QFD. Accordingly this paper proposes a model named as |Innovative Quality Function Deployment| (IQFD). The implementation study of IQFD in a real time situation has been explored by substituting the data gathered in a Kaizen project carried out in an automobile electrical accessory manufacturing company.

Keywords: customer satisfaction; continuous quality improvement; kaizen; quality function deployment; QFD; innovation management; brainstorming; house of quality; automobile industry; automotive electrical accessories; electrical accessories manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPMB.2008.017963

International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 2008 Vol.2 No.3, pp.249 - 269

Published online: 25 Apr 2008 *

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