Enhancing voice of customer prioritisation in QFD by integrating the competitor matrix

Purpose: Quality function deployment (QFD) is a quality improvement methodology using a system of interrelated matrices, where the influence of any one matrix may meaningfully change the concluding outcomes. In these interconnected matrices, the voice of customer (VOC) matrix and competitor matrix have a strong relationship. The current practice of finding improvement ratios (IRs) does not incorporate competitors' rating in a way that fully utilises competitors' rating information. The aim of this article to enhance VOC importance ratings by utilising the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combined with the geometric mean (GM). Design/methodology/approach: The current practice of computing IRs may divert QFD practitioners' attention from a potentially important VOC to less important VOC. In the first step using the existing competitors' ratings, a matrix of multiple comparisons is generated for all competitors. In the second step GM for each VOC is integrated with present VOC importance ratings to set new ratings. Findings: A QFD case study from the published literature is used to illustrate the application of new method. It is described how the existing results of the case study may divert to flawed decisions. It is further corroborated that in this way re-ranking of existing VOCs better achieve the goal of customer satisfaction in relation to VOC ratings and competitors' rankings. Originality/value: By employing this method, competitor rating can be transformed to two dimensional results, which provide a better picture to practitioners in observing their company's position and in improving VOC rating as well.