The Implementation of the House of Quality in Finnish Furniture Industry:A Case Study of Interface Company

Abstract

Nowadays, rapidly changing business environment and coupled with more and more sophisticated customer requirements are applying pressure on the companies and forces them to seek for various strategies and methods that would not only keep them on the market but also made it possible to gain competitive advantage. The purpose of this research is to examine the potential benefits of employing the Quality Function Deployment (DFM) methodology and one of its components- House of Quality in more detail. The company chosen as a case for this research- Interface operates in the Finnish furniture sector. Therefore, the findings of the study apply to this sector in particular. The research uses qualitative method based on a single case study conducted through series of brainstorming sessions with company’s representatives- chief executive officer and production manager. During the brainstorming session all the necessary data to create the House of Quality matrix was gathered. The information was supplemented with the additional interview with the salesperson employed by the main distributor of Interface’s products. The data concerned customer requirements and preferences. The conclusions from the findings present that the House of Quality method deployment brings considerable benefits for a company aiming at improving its existing product but might also be perceived too complex. Discussion part of the thesis suggests alternative solutions.