Overview

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a unique system for developing new products which aims to ensure that the initial quality of the product or service will satisfy the customer. In today's turbo economy, traditional design methods that rely on extensive concept and market testing and multiple rollouts take too much time and increase risk that copycat products will enter the market first. Best efforts driven by internal requirements risk failure to recognize important customer needs. The tools and methods described in this chapter will show how you can minimize these risks with proper planning. This chapter will also show how you can customize QFD to a specific project, especially to design a tangible product, an animatronic dinosaur, to be used in a service operation (a theme park attraction).

Chapter Outline

• Company Profile of MD Robotics

• Why QFD?

• Triceratops Encounter at Universal Studios Florida Island of Adventure

• Summary

• About the Authors

• References