Title: QFD and the BEST paradigm: deploying sustainable solutions

Authors: Rick L. Edgeman, Douglas A. Hensler

Addresses: Department of Statistics, College of Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1104, USA. ' College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0433, USA

Abstract: This paper joins concepts from sustainable development, business excellence, and quality function deployment to develop a vehicle that deploys a unified concept of BEST Business Excellence. Four sustainability cornerstones comprise BEST: Biophysical/Environmental Sustainability; Economic Sustainability; Social Sustainability and Technical/Technological Sustainability. European Foundation for Quality Management Business Excellence Model provides a conceptual framework to which the construct of business excellence is wedded herein. Other TQM/Excellence models provide similar frameworks. Without a deployment mechanism, good policies are no more than words and diagrams; therefore, this paper provides a BEST Deployment model.

Keywords: business excellence; EFQM model; environment; QFD; quality function deployment; society; sustainability; sustainable development; TQM; total quality management.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2005.006727

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2005 Vol.2 No.1, pp.49 - 59

Published online: 04 Apr 2005 *

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