From Concept to Market: Integrating Customer Needs in Product Development

Developing a competitive product with significant economic advantages presents a formidable challenge in today’s business landscape. Organizations can overcome the challenge by employing the House of Quality (HOQ), a well-established product modification and development methodology. This paper endeavors to investigate the pragmatic utilization of the House of Quality in augmenting customer satisfaction and optimizing product development procedures. It seeks to integrate QFD methodologies within strategic planning frameworks to effectively address customer needs and foster innovation in product development endeavors. Market surveys were conducted to align the product design with customer demands and ascertain the primary and latent needs of the target users. The paper examines the relevance of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) as a dynamic tool for identifying necessary modifications for newly developed products. The paper addresses potential data collection and decision-making challenges and provides valuable recommendations to overcome these obstacles. Based on user feedback, the study identifies crucial sensory requirements, such as defect-free performance (18%), product durability (14%), and the need for additional space (12%) to accommodate more significant food portions. The glass-plate model underwent material and design modifications to fulfil these needs and enhance user satisfaction. © The Institution of Engineers (India) 2024.