# Quality function deployment (QFD)

Operations · `Quality function deployment (QFD)` · verification: source checked

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a visual decision-making procedure for cross-functional product project teams. It develops a common understanding of customer needs, called the voice of the customer, and consensus on the final engineering specifications to meet those needs. It uses the house of quality diagram to translate customer needs into designs and communicate decisions through successive levels of detail.

## Specification

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | methodology |

## Study notes

- QFD integrates perspectives from different disciplines and focuses efforts on resolving key trade-offs against measurable performance targets.
- Decisions are deployed through successive levels of detail.
- The house of quality visually identifies spoken and unspoken customer needs and allows customers to prioritize requirements.
- Suppliers providing critical components are often involved in QFD sessions at the start of the design process.
- The document states that use of QFD eliminates expensive backflows and rework as projects near launch.

## Sources

1. [Quality Function Deployment - Lean Enterprise Institute](https://www.lean.org/lexicon-terms/quality-function-deployment/) (accessed 2026-10-25)

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