Page 75 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

56 Chapter Three

There are many methods that can be used to accomplish these tasks. They
are summarized here.

3.3.1 Methods to Identify Customer Needs

The customer survey is an important tool to get information about what
customers really want. Chapter 4 gives a detailed description of all
important customer survey issues and techniques, such as selecting survey
samples, designing and conducting survey questionnaires, and analyzing
survey data.

3.3.2 Methods to Analyze Customer Values

Customer value management (Gale 1994) contains several powerful
techniques to quantitatively identify the relative importance of various
factors, such as functions, availability, and psychological aspects, that con-
tribute to customer values. Customer value management will be discussed
in Chap. 5.

3.3.3 Methods to Deploy Customer Values
into Service Product Design

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a Japanese-initiated technique that
deploys quality into design. QFD uses a matrix-like template, called a house
of quality, to facilitate the design process. Chapter 6 discusses QFD in a
service industry framework.

Value engineering is a well-established, step-by-step technique that has
been used to design products with superior functions and lower cost.
Chapter 7 discusses the value engineering technique in a service industry
framework.

Brand name recognition is an important part of value. The product with
good brand recognition will usually enhance the product value greatly. In
service product design, brand name building should be an important con-
sideration. Chapter 8, ‘Brand Development and Brand Strategy’gives a road
map to brand name building.

The theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) is an established method used
to guide innovation in product design. In recent years, there are many articles
in the literature that discuss applying TRIZ in the service industry. Chapter 9
provides a brief discussion of TRIZ in a service industry environment.