Which of the following tools is used extensively in quality function deployment (QFD)? Please choose the correct answer.

Question

Options

• AAffinity diagram
• BMatrix diagram
• CCause and effect diagram
• DActivity network diagram

• A
  11% (2)
• B
  83% (15)
• D
  6% (1)

Explanation

Matrix diagrams are the cornerstone of QFD because QFD's primary deliverable - the "House of Quality" - is itself a matrix that maps customer requirements against engineering characteristics, showing relationships and priorities. The matrix structure is what makes QFD work: it systematically correlates "what customers want" with "how the product will deliver it."

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (Affinity diagram): Used for organizing large amounts of brainstormed ideas into themes - helpful in early ideation, but not central to QFD's structured translation process.
• C (Cause and effect diagram / Fishbone): A root cause analysis tool used in problem-solving and defect investigation, not for mapping customer needs to design features.
• D (Activity network diagram): A project scheduling tool (like a PERT chart) for sequencing tasks - entirely unrelated to QFD's quality planning purpose.

Memory tip: Think "QFD = House of Quality = a house-shaped matrix." If you can picture the grid-like House of Quality diagram with its rows, columns, and relationship symbols, you'll always remember that QFD lives and breathes the matrix diagram.

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