Overview

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) has been used for software development for more than a decade, and its popularity is increasing. One important factor in the adoption of QFD for software development is the project manager's decision to try it. Although the benefits of QFD for developers are well established, many project managers are not aware of how QFD can benefit them. Can QFD directly benefit project managers? Should a project manager doing new-product development use QFD to help him manage projects better?

After considering what often goes wrong with software (and other) development projects, and what causes those problems, an efficient, initial use of QFD is suggested: Blitz QFD. Project managers can apply this "best way to start with QFD" to better focus their development projects on efficiently delivering maximum value to their customers, and to plan for best efforts by the team on those activities that are truly essential, rather than merely critical. With Project QFD, project managers can manage value like they manage time, money, and people. And assuring that the product they develop delivers value to the customer is the development project manager's first priority.

Chapter Outline

• Introduction

• Problems with New Development

• Focus on Value with Project QFD

• Summary

• Acknowledgments

• References

• About the Author