Product Development by Using Quality Function Deployment Technique (QFD): A Case Study of Coconut Milk Ice-Cream (SMEs Product)

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to study the quality processes and to develop a product, a coconut milk ice-cream (SMEs Product), by using a Four-phase Model of a Quality Function Deployment Technique (QFD). Firstly, customer’ voices are collected by interviewing, then the results from the interviews are used as a basis for designing questionnaires to collect samples’ satisfaction on the product. At a 95% confidence level, a sample size is 31 samples which are current customers and tourists in Nakhon Pathom province. Secondly, the results from the questionnaires are analyzed using four phases of QFD which are: 1) Product Planning, 2) Design Deployment, 3) Process Planning and 4) Production Operations Planning. The results from an analysis of QFD point out that the product should be developed in terms of product’s characteristics and packaging. In term of the product characteristics, product’s variety of flavors is developed. In term of packaging, a new design of packaging is presented. Then, samples’ satisfaction on the developed product is collected. The results show that the total average satisfaction score of the product is increased from 6.54 to 8.08 or an increase of 23.73%.