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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.
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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 44 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.
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 Prominent in both the tutorials and papers was the
Analytic
Hierarchy Process (AHP) 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.
The QFD Institute
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