QFD and CE as Methodologies for a Quality Assurance in Product Development

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) combined with Concurrent Engineering (CE) as a Support tool for the competitive strategy on product development is devised. In this study, beyond the proposed method, it is intended to develop relations with innovational models, arrangements of innovation and technology transfer, learning in organizations, and how the diffusion of knowledge occurs. QFD can also be one those main tools of CE as this identifies the customer's main requirements translating into the features required for products. The field Survey of exploratory and descriptive type, using the questionnaire as data collection technique, was carried out in the manufacturing companies in the fast growing sectors of automobile industries in the State of Parana located in the Southern of Brazil. The selection of sample companies was made intentionally to guarantee of return of answer through the accessibility criteria. The reasons for this fact that call be pointed Out are: the use of "home made" methodology to fulfill customer's requirements, unknowing of the methodology, and the lack of adequate training to use QFD. It is expected that the results of findings, if disseminated adequately among local companies, will help to enhance the competitiveness performance beyond the local market scenario.