21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Fortaleza, Brazil - 2013

Quality Function Deployment (OFD) with a Human Touch

Anders Björnfot1 & Eskild Narum Bakken2

1Associate Professor, Department of Technology, Economy and Management, Gjøvik University College, Norway, [email protected]
2Senior lecturer & architect, Department of Technology, Economy and Management, Gjøvik University College, Norway, [email protected]

Abstract

In the terminology and conceptual approach to human perception of life, there seems to be a gap between the social sciences and the world of engineering. While environmental psychology refers to human experience or needs, the engineer is speaking about technical requirements in a different language. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can help bridge this gap between customer requirements and technical design alternatives. QFD is a rational tool well suited for the traditional mind-set of engineers, but the structure of the method is also able to contain a holistic approach to human well-being. The hypothesis proposed in this paper is that QFD, as utilized today, fails to adequately consider human well-being. Well-being is used to “measure” life energy; physical, mental, emotional and physical. From literature studied it becomes clear that the failure of QFD in construction is due to a failure to adequately consider human well-being. It is evident that the end user is inadequately defined. Also, QFD applications in construction have an excessive focus on physical/functional solutions pushed by engineers. There is little evidence that the user’s feelings (emotional, mental and spiritual) have any impact on proposed design solutions.

Keywords

Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Interior environment, Kansei Engineering.

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Reference

Björnfot, A. & Bakken, E. N. 2013. Quality Function Deployment (OFD) with a Human Touch, 21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 379-388. doi.org/

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