QFD-ID: Nationales QFD Symposium 2007

Veröffentlicht über den Newsletter des QFD Institute am 9.11.2008 und mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Glenn Mazur an dieser Stelle dupliziert.

The QFD Institut Deutschland (QFD-ID) could not have picked a more symbolic location for their December 2007 German QFD Symposium. Kassel Germany is best known as the home of the Grimm Brothers, the most famous collectors of fairy tales in the world whose work continues to enchant children and adults of all ages and lands.

Driving parts of the 300 mile Fairy Tale Route took us to the sights that inspired the settings for Sleeping Beauty, Goose Girl, and Little Red Riding Hood. Here, you find the real castles, haunting forests, and misty hills that must have provoked much terror and awe among the villagers of past centuries.

What better place to invoke the power of QFD, the approach to merging the fairy tale world of what product developers wish to make and the reality of what customers wish to buy?

Attendance at the German QFD Symposium, December 6th, was an impressive 45 members representing a healthy cross section of academia and business, including industry leaders such as Volkswagen, BMW, Bosch, Roche Diagnostics, and Vodafone. Most presentations were in German, and included two tutorials and eleven papers.

Prominent in both the tutorials and papers was the Analytic Hierarchy Process as a preferred method for quantification in QFD. This was a fitting follow through to Dr. Saaty (creator of AHP) receiving the Akao Prize this past September at the International Symposium in Williamsburg USA.

Other emphases in the presentation included Function Analysis, Market Research, Production Deployment, TRIZ, Blitz QFD®, and Six Sigma. Applications included automotive systems, design of a spa chair, civil construction, textiles, and software.

QFD Institute Deutschland certifications were awarded to several attendees, including QFD Architect (highest level) to Glenn Mazur and Richard Zultner of the U.S.

Following the Symposium, the QFD Institute (U.S.) held an International QFD Green Belt® Course, which included members from Austria, Belgium, Romania, Spain, and the UK.

The continuous efforts of QFD-ID are to be recognized for the promotion of QFD throughout Germany and much of Europe. It was inspiring to meet many QFD colleagues who will lead QFD efforts in the EU.

We look forward to future collaboration.

Report from german QFD Symposium 2007 in Kassel