QFD vs Triz as Manufacturing Design Tools - A Review

This paper presents an overview of quality function deployment (QFD) and the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) as manufacturing design tools. It has been divided into the three main sections. The first part describes the QFD methodology and discusses its inherent advantages and limitations. The second part investigates TRIZ, its key concepts and associated strengths and weaknesses. Two published case studies, carried out in a manufacturing environment, are considered to provide a better understanding of the two methodologies described. Finally, QFD and TRIZ are compared and their role in designing quality into products and services outlined. Authors: D.J. Delgado, E.M. Aspinwall, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England .