Views, Thoughts, and Opinion
The advancement in science and technology has brought about new insights that have increased the process of manufacturing goods and services in an effective and efficient manner. As a result, the cost of production has greatly reduced. This has greatly increased the number of firms producing various goods or services hence increasing the level of competition.
The presence of many producers has provided consumers with a wide range of substitutes to choose from. Therefore, for a firm to ensure that it attracts and retains its customers, it needs to ensure guarantee that its products are superior to the ones that are produced by its rivals. The products should also conform to the tastes and preferences of the target market.
House of quality is thus an effective tool that can be used to achieve this. Its concepts take into consideration the relationship that exists between the customers’ needs and desires, the manufacturing capabilities of a given organization and the quality of the products manufactured by competing firms. After considering all these factors, the final product that is arrived at is usually of a superior quality conforming to the tastes and preferences of the consumers. This ensures that a firm is profitable and sustainable from the sale of such products in the short run and in the long run.
Effectiveness of the Concept of House of Quality
House of quality is an effective concept in the process of developing new products or modifying existing ones. The concept is based on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Our engineers utilize this concept in the process of incorporating the requirements of customers in the technical components within a product in the process of design and manufacture. Through QFD, house of quality plays a critical role in the design, control and improvement processes of our products. Thus, the functionality of the final product conforms to the tastes and preferences of our target market, our technical capabilities, and the economic trends. Therefore, the product not only meets the desires of the target market but it is also in line with our operational goals and objectives and economic realities.
Criticism of the Concept
The house of quality is an effective concept of designing a good or service to conform to the needs of the target market and the management plan of the manufacturing firm. As a result, the concept increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall manufacturing process. However, the concept has a major drawback.
Due to its technicality, the concept might be difficult to apply especially in firms that lack the technical capability of supporting it. As a result, such firms will continue to design their products using rudimentary techniques. However, firms can overcome this problem by simplifying the concept to reflect the nature of their operations and the challenges that they face. This will ensure that the designs and solutions for implementation conform to the needs and desires of the customers and the firm.
Application in Western Nations
Despite its effectiveness, the house of quality might be difficult to apply in manufacturing firms in western nations. The manufacturing process of western nations is primarily based on performance management. Firms whose operations are based on performance management rely on the expertise, skills, and competence of their employees in the process of designing and manufacturing their products.
Therefore, the design of new or existing products does not highly rely on the needs and requirements of the customers but the technical capabilities of the manufacturing firm. Therefore, it is difficult for such firms to adopt and implement the house of quality concept due to their ‘imbeddedness’ in the performance management concept.