How important is it to satisfy customers? How important is it to satisfy internal customers? What is the benefit if we succeed in satisfying them? What is the cost if we fail?
2.
As a modern quality system, QFD uses the new 7 MP Tools. Traditional quality systems use the basic seven quality control (7QC) tools. From a comparison of the tool sets, what type of problems will QFD be good at? What type of problems will QFD be poor at?
3.
The New Lanchester Strategy is a simple framework for considering strategic issues at the beginning of a project. What difference does it make if the project manager, or project team, understands or does not understand the expected strategic contribution of their project?
4.
What is the difference between an incoherent and a coherent development process? In which environment would you expect employee satisfaction to be higher and turnover lower? Why?
5.
The "voice of the customer" analysis is not simply a recording of what the customer says they want. Rather, it involves understanding why they are asking for those things, and then offering expert solutions to meet those needs. How would you proceed if you don't have the expertise to provide the kinds of solutions the customer needs?
6.
QFD takes a very different approach to requirements, compared to traditional software engineering. What problems with software requirements can QFD help with? Where would it not be useful?
7.
This chapter argues that only a few high-priority needs determine customer satisfaction. Consider a recent purchase you made. On what basis did you decide to buy? Are you satisfied with your purchase? Why or why not? Does your personal experience support the claim that a vital few needs drive satisfaction?
8.
Kansei Engineering is a systematic approach to engineering look-and-feel (sensory engineering). What aspects of software development could benefit from this approach? (For what type of software would this be very important?)
9.
QFD Schedule Deployment, if implemented properly, has the power to reduce the elapsed time of projects by 15 percent to 25 percent in less than a year. What other methods can reduce project schedules? What were the results of those methods when implemented? (Do they involve a paradigm shift?) If you could invest some of this reduction back into the development process, what would you do with it? (What "extra" methods would you use if a "free" 5 percent of the project could be spent on them?)
