We often talk about "Customer Focus" as a pillar of Total Quality Management. Does this mean the customer should dictate the technical roadmap, or is there a balance between user demands and engineering feasibility that TQM practitioners should follow?
3 answers
In TQM, we use a tool called "Quality Function Deployment" (QFD) or the "House of Quality" to handle this exact balance. It helps translate the "Voice of the Customer" into specific technical requirements. The customer doesn't necessarily tell you how to build the product, but they tell you what outcomes they value. Engineering then determines the feasibility. TQM ensures that you aren't over-engineering features that users don't care about, while simultaneously ensuring that the core "Quality Characteristics" the customer expects are built into the design from day one.
How are you currently gathering your "Voice of the Customer" data—is it through direct interviews, or are you relying mostly on social media and support tickets?
A customer-centric approach means the customer is the final judge of quality. If the product is technically perfect but doesn't solve their problem, it’s low quality in TQM terms.
Absolutely, Helen. This mindset shift is what separates TQM companies from those that are just technically proficient. It’s all about creating value that the customer recognizes.
Gary, we use a mix of both, but we’ve found that "Contextual Inquiry"—watching the user actually use the product in their environment—provides the best TQM insights. It reveals problems they don't even know they have, which allows us to innovate rather than just react to complaints.