ISO 16355-1:2021

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16355-1
Second edition
2021-05
Application of statistical and related
methods to new technology and
product development process —
Part 1:
General principles and perspectives of
quality function deployment (QFD)
Application des méthodes statistiques et des méthodes liées aux
nouvelles technologies et de développement de produit —
Partie 1: Principes généraux et perspectives de déploiement de la
fonction qualité (QFD)
Reference number
©
ISO 2021
© ISO 2021
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ii © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .vi
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Basic concepts of QFD . 3
4.1 Theory and principles of QFD . 3
4.2 QFD use of the word of function . 3
4.3 Spirit of QFD . 3
4.4 Display of information . 4
5 Integration of QFD and product development methods . 4
5.1 QFD support for product development methods . 4
5.2 Flow of product development with QFD . 4
5.2.1 Organization of the QFD flow . 4
5.2.2 Flow chart of product development with QFD. 5
6 Types of QFD projects . 5
6.1 General . 5
6.2 Applicable methods and tools . 6
7 QFD team membership . 6
7.1 QFD uses cross-functional teams . 6
7.2 Core team membership . 6
7.3 Subject matter experts . 6
7.4 QFD team leadership . 7
8 QFD voices . 7
8.1 Voice of business . 7
8.2 Voice of customer (VOC) or voice of stakeholder (VOS) . 8
8.2.1 Definition of customer or stakeholder . 8
8.2.2 Applicable methods and tools . 8
8.2.3 Marketing perspective and engineering perspective . 8
8.2.4 Applicable methods and tools . 8
8.2.5 Prioritize customers or stakeholders . 9
8.2.6 Applicable methods and tools . 9
8.2.7 What is contained in the voice of customer (VOC) or voice of stakeholder (VOS) . 9
8.2.8 Sources of VOC and VOS . . 9
8.2.9 Applicable methods and tools . 9
8.2.10 Translating VOC/VOS into customer needs .10
8.2.11 Applicable methods and tools .10
9 Structuring information sets .10
9.1 General .10
9.2 Applicable tools and methods .10
10 Prioritization .11
10.1 General .11
10.2 Applicable tools and methods .11
11 Quantification .11
11.1 General .11
11.2 Applicable tools and methods .11
12 Translation of one information set into another .12
12.1 General .12
12.2 Applicable tools and methods .12
13 Transfer of prioritization and quantification from one information set into another .12
13.1 Transfer of prioritization .12
13.2 Applicable tools and methods .13
13.3 Transfer of quantification .13
13.4 Applicable tools and methods .13
13.5 Transferring deployment sets by dimensions .14
13.5.1 General.14
13.5.2 Quality deployment .14
13.5.3 Applicable tools and methods .14
13.5.4 Technology deployment .14
13.5.5 Applicable tools and methods .15
13.5.6 Cost deployment .15
13.5.7 Applicable tools and methods .15
13.5.8 Reliability deployment.15
13.5.9 Applicable tools and methods .15
13.5.10 Safety deployment .16
13.5.11 Security deployment (see ISO 16355-7) .16
13.5.12 Lifestyle and emotional quality deployment .16
13.5.13 Applicable tools and methods .16
13.6 Transferring deployment sets by levels .16
13.6.1 Function deployment .16
13.6.2 Applicable tools and methods .17
13.6.3 Parts deployment .17
13.6.4 Applicable tools and methods .17
13.6.5 Manufacturing and process deployments .17
13.6.6 Applicable tools and methods .17
13.6.7 Project work or task management .17
14 Solution concept engineering .18
14.1 General .18
14.2 Applicable tools and methods .18
15 Design optimization .18
15.1 Parameter design for robustness .18
15.2 Tolerance design .18
15.3 Applicable tools and methods .18
16 Prototyping, testing, and validation .19
16.1 General .19
16.2 Applicable tools and methods .19
17 Build planning .19
17.1 General .19
17.2 Applicable tools and methods .19
18 Build start-up .20
18.1 General .20
18.2 Applicable tools and methods .20
19 Build .20
19.1 General .20
19.2 Applicable tools and methods .20
20 Packaging design, logistics, channel management, consumer information, and
operating instructions .21
20.1 General .21
20.2 Applicable tools and methods .21
20.3 Logistics .21
20.4 Marketing claims .21
21 Customer support .21
21.1 General .21
iv © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

21.2 Applicable tools and methods .21
22 Customer satisfaction .21
22.1 General .21
22.2 Applicable tools and methods .22
23 Product end-of-life disposal, recycle, reuse, and other sustainability concerns .22
23.1 General .22
23.2 Applicable tools and methods .22
24 Flow to next generation development .22
24.1 General .22
24.2 Applicable tools and methods .22
Annex A (informative) Examples of applicable methods and tools .23
Annex B (informative) Concept relationships and their graphical representation .53
Bibliography .54
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 69, Applications of statistical methods,
Subcommittee SC 8, Application of statistical and related methodology for new technology and product
development.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 16355-1:2015), of which it constitutes a
minor revision. The changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— throughout the text, addition of relevant informative references to the other parts in the ISO 16355
series, which are also added to the Bibliography.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16355 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
vi © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Quality function deployment (QFD) is a method to assure customer or stakeholder satisfaction and
value with new and existing products by designing in, from different levels and different perspectives,
the requirements that are most important to the customer or stakeholder. These requirements are
well understood through the use of quantitative and non-quantitative tools and methods to improve
confidence of the design and development phases that they are working on the right things. In addition
to satisfaction with the product, QFD improves the process by which new products are developed.
Reported results of using QFD include improved customer satisfaction with products at time of launch,
improved cross-functional communication, systematic and traceable design decisions, efficient use of
resources, reduced rework, reduced time-to-market, lower life cycle cost, improved reputation of the
organization among its customers or stakeholders.
This document demonstrates the dynamic nature of a customer-driven approach. Since its inception
in 1966, QFD has broadened and deepened its methods and tools to respond to the changing business
conditions of QFD users, their management, their customers, and their products. Those who have used
older QFD models will find these improvements make QFD easier and faster to use. The methods and
tools shown and described represent decades of improvements to QFD; the list is neither exhaustive nor
exclusive. Users should consider the applicable methods and tools as suggestions, not requirements.
This document is descriptive and discusses current best practice; it is not prescriptive by requiring
specific tools and methods.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16355-1:2021(E)
Application of statistical and related methods to new
technology and product development process —
Part 1:
General principles and perspectives of quality function
deployment (QFD)
1 Scope
This part of ISO 16355 describes the quality function deployment (QFD) process, its purpose, users, and
tools. It does not provide requirements or guidelines for organizations to develop and systematically
manage their policies, processes, and procedures in order to achieve specific objectives.
Users of this part of ISO 16355 will include all organization functions necessary to assure customer
satisfaction, including business planning, marketing, sales, research and development (R&D),
engineering, information technology (IT), manufacturing, procurement, quality, production, service,
packaging and logistics, support, testing, regulatory, and other phases in hardware, software, service,
and system organizations.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references cited in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
quality function deployment
QFD
managing of all organizational functions and activities to assure product quality
Note 1 to entry: The organization is responsible for product quality and strives for it via defining, testing,
building, commercializing, and supporting the product.
Note 2 to entry: Literal definition is that the “quality function” is “deployed” to all other business functions and
departments who play a role in assuring quality and customer satisfaction.
3.2
voice of customer
VOC
communications from the customer
Note 1 to entry: The communications from the customer may be verbal, written, video, audio, animation, or other
form and may be descriptive, behavioural, or ethnographic.
Note 2 to entry: Customer is defined in ISO 9000:2015, 3.2.4.
3.3
customer need
potential benefit to a customer
Note 1 to entry: The benefit to a customer from having their problem solved, their opportunity enabled, their
image (self or to others) enhanced, or being advanced to a more desirable state.
Note 2 to entry: The benefit is positively stated.
Note 3 to entry: The benefit describes a single issue.
Note 4 to entry: The benefit is independent of the product or features.
Note 5 to entry: A need may be explicit or latent.
Note 6 to entry: Customer is defined in ISO 9000:2015, 3.2.4.
3.4
functional requirement
characteristic that a product or service is specified to possess
Note 1 to entry: The characteristic could be an inherent performance of the product or an action that the product
shall be able to accomplish. The manner in which the product accomplishes the action should not include specific
mechanisms or internal procedures is not part of the functional requirement.
Note 2 to entry: Product is defined in ISO 9000:2015, 3.7.6.
Note 3 to entry: Service is defined in ISO 9000:2015, 3.7.7.
3.5
voice of stakeholder
VOS
communications from the stakeholder
Note 1 to entry: The communications from the stakeholder may be verbal, written, video, audio, animation, or
other form and may be descriptive, behavioural, or ethnographic.
Note 2 to entry: Stakeholder is defined in ISO 9000:2015, 3.2.3.
3.6
customer gemba
location where true information is found
Note 1 to entry: Gemba is a Japanese word meaning the place where the truth is discovered. In Six Sigma, this
usually refers to the shop floor where internal activities take place. In QFD for new product development, the
new product does not exist yet, so the gemba changes to where the customer's activities or encounters take place.
Note 2 to entry: There may be no physical location, i.e. for eCommerce or some processes.
Note 3 to entry: Gemba visits help discover unknown requirements.
3.7
hoshin kanri
method for management and deployment of strategic organizational policy
Note 1 to entry: English translations include policy management, policy deployment, management by policy, and
strategy deployment.
2 © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

4 Basic concepts of QFD
4.1 Theory and principles of QFD
Quality function deployment is an approach for ensuring quality throughout but not necessarily at each
stage of the product development process, starting with the initial product concept. In 1987, the co-
founder of QFD, Yoji Akao, defined comprehensive QFD as converting the “consumers’ demands into
quality characteristics and developing a design quality for the finished product by systematically
deploying the relationships between the demands and the characteristics, starting with the quality
of each functional component and extending the deployment to the quality of each part and process.
[10]
The overall quality of the product will be formed through this network of relationships.” Since that
time, QFD users have extended QFD and its applicable methods and tools upstream in the product
development process to initial project strategy and downstream to the commercialization and even
retirement of the product from the market. The network of relationships becomes a framework for new
product development. QFD can be applied to products, services, and processes (hereafter referred to as
products).
As a quality method, the aim is to assure that decisions regarding product development have a defined
and repeatable process, are based on factual information, have definable and measurable targets,
involve all relevant business departments, and focus first and best efforts where they matter most to
customers. QFD should begin upstream in the product development process in order to assure that
decisions are made in this way, as downstream rework can be costly in terms of money and delays.
The principles of QFD are as follows:
a) prioritize information to focus;
b) understand how to cause good quality;
c) listen to the voice of the customer;
d) observe the customer's situation;
e) capture information from other sources;
f) improve internal communications through the transformation of information between
perspectives.
4.2 QFD use of the word of function
In modern organizations, the “quality function” shall collaborate and coordinate with other functions
(marketing, engineering, manufacturing, service support, information technology, and others involved
in product development) in order to assure customer satisfaction with the resulting product. Thus, the
quality function is deployed (hence, the term QFD) across critical business activities and ideally across
the entire organization.
NOTE The term function is used in multiple ways in QFD. The following are some of the common uses.
In the term quality function deployment, function refers to the organizational units, in this case, the
quality function that is often tasked with process control, improvement, inspection, and other related
activities.
In the term function deployment, function refers to product function, defined in value engineering and
function analysis as a verb (active) + noun (measurable) that describes what a product does but not how
it does it regardless of the level or perspective.
4.3 Spirit of QFD
A commitment among all critical departments to work together for the benefit of the customer or
stakeholder. A personal connection to the customer should be established.
As a central principle, customer needs or requirements shall be known or acquired and understood
adequately by all relevant stakeholders. It shall be validated if product requirements meet the needs of
the customer or stakeholder.
4.4 Display of information
Visual display of information improves communications. Due to the various organizational functions
in the QFD team and the complexity of the information as it flows through the development and
commercialization process, visual displays of the information are helpful. This is especially true in
global organizations with many languages and cultures.
5 Integration of QFD and product development methods
5.1 QFD support for product development methods
Integration of QFD into new product development processes is both desirable and possible. Successful
1)
integration has been accomplished with other product development methods such as Stage-Gate™ and
product development support methods such as Design for Six Sigma, Design for Lean Sigma, and others.
This may be done at an enterprise level, business group level, project level, or technology level. This
integration should be guided by a QFD expert familiar with these methods.
NOTE 1 QFD is designed to link together the various phases of product development such as strategy,
portfolio, marketing, competitiveness, systems, voice of customer, requirements analysis, concept development,
optimization, change management, reliability, cost, safety, manufacturing, support, logistics, quality, and other
product development phases. This linking assures that priorities at each phase are supported by downstream
phases and decisions at each phase can be viewed for their impact on upstream phases. In this way, QFD improves
both the product and the process by which it is created.
NOTE 2 QFD can integrate tools and methods from different new product development processes. Conversely,
different new product development processes can utilize QFD tools and methods.
NOTE 3 The applicable tools lists are not exhaustive. They are meant to illustrate tools that have been
effectively used in QFD. Other tools might also be useful according to the project.
5.2 Flow of product development with QFD
5.2.1 Organization of the QFD flow
The flow of QFD methods and tools may vary according to the organization and project requirements.
Typically, they begin with broad concerns and through prioritization flow down to specifics. Figure 1
illustrates the organization of the clauses of this part of ISO 16355. Each box describes the general stage
in product development such as project, customers, and so forth. Within each box are specific steps
and their respective clause numbers such as “8.2.1 Identify customers” and so forth. Later in this part
of ISO 16355, each clause will describe the step and suggest applicable methods and tools that can be
used to accomplish the step. This helps align the voice of the business, voice of the customer, voice of the
engineer, and voice of the process.
1) Stage-Gate™ is an example of a suitable product available commercially. This information is given for the
convenience of users of this document and does not constitute an endorsement by ISO of this product.
4 © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

5.2.2 Flow chart of product development with QFD
Figure 1 — Flow chart of product development with QFD
6 Types of QFD projects
6.1 General
QFD projects can encompass new developments, as well as generational improvements to existing
products.
a) QFD can be applied to both existing and new markets, as well as to both existing and new
technologies.
b) QFD projects can be driven by external sources such as market and customer demands, competitive
threats or opportunities, technology change, regulatory changes, and other external factors, as well
as internal sources such as cost reduction, manufacturing opportunities, new materials, knowledge
management, and other internal factors.
c) QFD projects can focus on hardware, service, software, software as a service, process, systems,
interface, or some combination. They can be either business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-
business (B2B). Big, complex projects may benefit from increased customer involvement. Methods
such as continuous QFD (see A.25) may be helpful.
d) QFD projects can be applied at any level: societal, environmental, end product, system, subsystem,
component, production, material, process, service process, support, or supplier. Projects may
progress upstream from micro detail to macro systems, downstream from macro to micro,
or expand outward from a midstream level. QFD projects may have defined launches or may be
continuous.
e) QFD may be employed at any management level from business operations to strategic business
planning and control.
f) QFD projects may be used to document and preserve market and technical knowledge of the
organization.
The QFD tools and the sequence in which they are used should be adapted to the type of project.
The QFD tools and sequence should be adapted to the management structure and culture and problems
of each organization to improve participation, integration, and long-term utilization of the method.
There is no “one way” to do QFD that fits all organizations.
QFD tools and sequence have evolved since the first studies in the 1960s in the automobile parts industry
that used simple diagrams and matrices to identify design elements and downstream manufacturing
details. When end-user products, non-manufactured products such as service and software, and
business processes began using QFD, additional tools were added to address human tasks, information,
and other complexities (see A.22). In more recent years, organizational resource constraints have led
to a quicker approach that addresses both complexity and speed (see A.23). It is consistent with quality
methods in general and with customer-driven methods like QFD in particular that the methods and
tools should evolve and adapt to the ever-changing business environment of its practitioners, in order
for them to remain viable and practicable. This evolution is demonstrated in the Bibliography of case
studies.
NOTE QFD is not a method to design a product or process; it is an infrastructure to ensure the product or
process satisfies customers.
6.2 Applicable methods and tools
a) Systems engineering
2)
b) Stage-Gate™
c) Design for Six Sigma phase activities
d) Design for Lean
e) Cross-functional management swim-lane charts (see ISO/TR 16355-8:2017, Clause 20)
f) Knowledge management (see ISO 16355-5:2017, 9.3.7)
g) Continuous QFD (see A.25 and ISO 16355-2:2017, 9.2.5.15)
7 QFD team membership
7.1 QFD uses cross-functional teams
The basic concept of QFD is to ensure quality throughout each stage of the product development process
while keeping the focus on customer satisfaction. Team membership should consist of a core team and
invited subject matter experts.
7.2 Core team membership
Core team members should represent business functions needed for the project. They should extend
end-to-end across the development and commercialization process to prevent information gaps from
diminishing customer satisfaction.
7.3 Subject matter experts
Subject matter experts whose specialty is required to develop and review requirements may be invited
as the project requirements flow down to different departments in the organization. Common experts
include marketing (consumer insights, consumer experience, statisticians, conjoint analysis, survey
design, and other marketing areas), engineering (electronics, components, value engineers, software,
2) Stage-Gate™ is an example of a suitable product available commercially. This information is given for the
convenience of users of this document and does not constitute an endorsement by ISO of this product.
6 © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

materials, packaging, and other engineering areas), manufacturing (stamping, forming, equipment,
supply, industrial, and other manufacturing areas), quality (Six Sigma, statisticians, inspection, gage,
design of experiments, supplier quality, and other areas activities), services (technical writers, technical
support, phone centres, and other service areas), as well as other areas of expertise.
7.4 QFD team leadership
QFD team leaders or moderators should be trained in the QFD tools and methods in order to effectively
lead the QFD project. Additional tools, as identified in the appendices, may be useful. Basic team
facilitation and moderation skills are recommended. (See ISO 16355-5:2017, 7.4.)
The QFD team leader should take a position of being function-agnostic so as to remain neutral to any
business department or activity.
8 QFD voices
8.1 Voice of business
8.1.1 Since QFD is applied to projects, these projects have many goals or objectives for the organization.
Constraints may also exist. These goals may derive from development decisions and business strategy.
8.1.2 Business and project goals may include financial targets such as revenue, profit, and facility and
resource optimization, marketing targets such as market opportunity, market share, market growth, and
competitiveness, and others. (See ISO 16355-2:2017, 9.1.3.)
8.1.3 Constraints may include time/schedule, human resources and technical expertise, and cost/
investment.
QFD is a quality method, so the goals and constraints should include a metric and measure
...