Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a process for planning products and services. It starts with the Voice of the Customer (VOC) which becomes the basis for setting requirements. From that, the organization identifies the What’s – the most important needs of the VOC.  Then, a team identifies the How’s – those areas of process focus that address each of these identified requirements.

Use: A popular tool of Six Sigma used in quality function deployment is The House of Quality. The house of quality is a powerful, but simple matrix that identifies the requirements (the What’s, the How’s), and provides a matrix that links these together which ultimately breaks down and prioritizes those things in the process that will have the biggest impact on the requirements of the customer.

Six Sigma Terminology