Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Hierarchy Process (hierarchy + process)
Kinds of Hierarchy Process Selected AbstractsDecision Making with Uncertain Judgments: A Stochastic Formulation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process*DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 3 2003Eugene D. Hahn ABSTRACT In the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), priorities are derived via a deterministic method, the eigenvalue decomposition. However, judgments may be subject to error. A stochastic characterization of the pairwise comparison judgment task is provided and statistical models are introduced for deriving the underlying priorities. Specifically, a weighted hierarchical multinomial logit model is used to obtain the priorities. Inference is then conducted from the Bayesian viewpoint using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The stochastic methods are found to give results that are congruent with those of the eigenvector method in matrices of different sizes and different levels of inconsistency. Moreover, inferential statements can be made about the priorities when the stochastic approach is adopted, and these statements may be of considerable value to a decision maker. The methods described are fully compatible with judgments from the standard version of AHP and can be used to construct a stochastic formulation of it. [source] An Empirical Study of Equivalence Judgments vs.DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2001Ratio Judgments in Decision Analysis Abstract Two commonly used elicitation modes on strength of preference, equivalence and ratio judgments, were compared in an experiment. The result from the experiment showed that ratio judgments were less effective than equivalence judgments. Based on an iterative design for eliciting multiattribute preference structures, equivalence judgments outperformed ratio judgments in estimating single-attribute measurable value functions, while being nearly more effective than ratio judgments in assessing multiattribute preference structures. The implications of the results from the experiment are that multiattribute decision-making techniques should take advantage of the decision maker's inclination of making effective equivalence trade-off judgments, and that useful techniques should be devised to incorporate different commonly used techniques, such as multiattribute utility theory and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, to elicit and consolidate equivalence trade-off judgments. [source] Incorporating multiple criteria into the design of conservation area networks: a minireview with recommendationsDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 2 2006Alexander Moffett ABSTRACT We provide a review of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods that may potentially be used during systematic conservation planning for the design of conservation area networks (CANs). We review 26 methods and present the core ideas of 19 of them. We suggest that the computation of the non-dominated set (NDS) be the first stage of any such analysis. This process requires only that alternatives be qualitatively ordered by each criterion. If the criteria can also be similarly ordered, at the next stage, Regime is the most appropriate method to refine the NDS. If the alternatives can also be given quantitative values by the criteria, Goal Programming will prove useful in many contexts. If both the alternatives and the criteria can be quantitatively evaluated, and the criteria are independent of each other but may be compounded, then multi-attribute value theory (MAVT) should be used (with preferences conveniently elicited by a modified Analytic Hierarchy Process (mAHP) provided that the number of criteria is not large). [source] Evaluating the Effectiveness of Auditing in Local Municipalities using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP): A General Model and the Israeli ExampleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 3 2007Shlomo Mizrahi This paper suggests a method for evaluating the effectiveness of auditing, and more specifically, develops measurement tools for evaluating the effectiveness of auditing in local municipalities. Auditing effectiveness is defined basically as the number and scope of deficiencies corrected following the auditing process. Given the relatively scant literature about the measurement of auditing effectiveness in the public sector, this study attempts to bring the issue to the forefront and provide systematic tools for such a measurement. The method suggested in this paper is based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, which is usually used for grading multi-criteria alternatives where a subjective (expert) comparison between alternatives is required. In our context, this methodology helps rank the relative importance of each deficiency in the auditing report by assigning weights to each deficiency. Applying this method to auditing in local municipalities, the paper develops measurement tools for evaluating their effectiveness based on questionnaires distributed among experts and illustrates their applicability in three local municipalities in Israel. [source] A fuzzy preference-ranking model for a quality evaluation of hospital web sitesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 11 2006R. Ufuk Bilsel This article presents a quality evaluation model for measuring the performance of hospital Web sites. The model is developed on the basis of a conceptual framework, which consists of seven major e-service quality dimensions, including tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, confidence, empathy, quality of information, and integration of communication issues of Web sites. The dimensions and their associated attributes are first obtained from published articles in the health care and information technology literature and then adapted according to the suggestions of related domain experts. Two multicriteria decision-making methods are used in the evaluation procedure. Determined Web site evaluation dimensions and their relevant attributes are weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Vagueness in some stages of the evaluation required the incorporation of fuzzy numbers in the assessment process. Both fuzzy and crisp data are then synthesized using the fuzzy PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) ranking method. The model is applied initially to measure the performance of the Web sites of Turkish hospitals. This study should be of interest to health care and technology practitioners and researchers, as the findings shed light on the further development of performance measurements for hospital Web sites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 1181,1197, 2006. [source] Decomposing the Value of Agricultural Multifunctionality: Combining Contingent Valuation and the Analytical Hierarchy ProcessJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2007Zein Kallas Q18; Q11; Q25 Abstract Agricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental and social functions by this sector. Nevertheless, not all these contributions to society are valued in markets, moreover a large share of them are public goods. For this reason, in order to make this concept of multifunctionality operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand of such functions. The objective of this article was to implement an empirical application along these lines. For this purpose, the agricultural system of cereal steppes in Tierra de Campos in Spain is taken as a case study. The economic valuation technique used relies on a combined implementation of contingent valuation and the analytical hierarchy process. The results obtained demonstrate the existence of a significant demand for the different attributes included in the multifunctionality concept, although this demand is heterogeneous and is based on the socioeconomic characteristics of individual persons. [source] Random error reduction in analytic hierarchies: a comparison of holistic and decompositional decision strategiesJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 3 2001Osvaldo F. Morera Abstract The principle of ,divide and conquer' (DAC) suggests that complex decision problems should be decomposed into smaller, more manageable parts, and that these parts should be logically aggregated to derive an overall value for each alternative. Decompositional procedures have been contrasted with holistic evaluations that require decision makers to simultaneously consider all the relevant attributes of the alternatives under consideration (Fischer, 1977). One area where decompositional procedures have a clear advantage over holistic procedures is in the reduction of random error (Ravinder, 1992; Ravinder and Kleinmuntz, 1991; Kleinmuntz, 1990). Adopting the framework originally developed by Ravinder and colleagues, this paper details the results of a study of the random error variances associated with another popular multi-criteria decision-making technique, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP); (Saaty, 1977, 1980), as well as the random error variances of a holistic version of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (Jensen, 1983). In addition, data concerning various psychometric properties (e.g. the convergent validity and temporal stability) and values of AHP inconsistency are reported for both the decompositional and holistic evaluations. The results of the study show that the Ravinder and Kleinmuntz (1991) error-propagation framework extends to the AHP and decompositional AHP judgments are more consistent than their holistic counterparts. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] INTEGRATING HUMANS IN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT USING MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 2 2003Georgios E. Pavlikakis ABSTRACT: The Ecosystem Management (EM) process belongs to the category of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problems. It requires appropriate decision support systems (DSS) where "all interested people" would be involved in the decision making process. Environmental values critical to EM, such as the biological diversity, health, productivity and sustainability, have to be studied, and play an important role in modeling the ecosystem functions; human values and preferences also influence decision making. Public participation in decision and policy making is one of the elements that differentiate EM from the traditional methods of management. Here, a methodology is presented on how to quantify human preferences in EM decision making. The case study of the National Park of River Nestos Delta and Lakes Vistonida and Ismarida in Greece, presented as an application of this methodology, shows that the direct involvement of the public, the quantification of its preferences and the decision maker's attitude provide a strong tool to the EM decision making process. Public preferences have been given certain weights and three MCDM methods, namely, the Expected Utility Method, Compromise Programming and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, have been used to select alternative management solutions that lead to the best configuration of the ecosystem and are also socially acceptable. [source] Design and synthesis of separation process based on a hybrid methodASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2009Chunshan Li Abstract A new general hybrid methodology for separation process synthesis and design is proposed, which considers different separation technologies by integrating mathematical modeling,Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with heuristic approaches and thermodynamic insights. The methodology can provide suitable guidance for the initial separation process design and energy saving. Firstly, a general separation synthesis system based on thermodynamic insights is developed to select suitable separation techniques before sequencing, which reduces the complexity and size of synthesis search space. Then, the pseudo-component concept is proposed and used to deal with the azeotrope contained in the mixture, which widens the scope of the application of the proposed methodology. The AHP method is used to make a separation sequence by pairwise comparison matrices. Lastly, the separation of the pseudo-component will be considered, and it performs energy integration and a detailed process design. Application of the proposed methodology is highlighted through two industrial examples: one is the separation synthesis of a light-end refinery mixture. The other is azeotrope system, the mixture of phenol, o -cresol, p -cresol, and m -cresol. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Decision Making with Uncertain Judgments: A Stochastic Formulation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process*DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 3 2003Eugene D. Hahn ABSTRACT In the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), priorities are derived via a deterministic method, the eigenvalue decomposition. However, judgments may be subject to error. A stochastic characterization of the pairwise comparison judgment task is provided and statistical models are introduced for deriving the underlying priorities. Specifically, a weighted hierarchical multinomial logit model is used to obtain the priorities. Inference is then conducted from the Bayesian viewpoint using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The stochastic methods are found to give results that are congruent with those of the eigenvector method in matrices of different sizes and different levels of inconsistency. Moreover, inferential statements can be made about the priorities when the stochastic approach is adopted, and these statements may be of considerable value to a decision maker. The methods described are fully compatible with judgments from the standard version of AHP and can be used to construct a stochastic formulation of it. [source] Decision Factors and the Recognition of Medical Specialty in Patients Receiving Cosmetic Laser and Intense Pulsed Light TreatmentDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 12 2007TIEN-YI TZUNG MD BACKGROUND In addition to dermatologists and plastic surgeons, physicians of other medical specialties also provide cosmetic laser and light treatment. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the major decision factors in patients who received cosmetic laser or intense pulsed light treatment and how they perceived different medical specialties in providing such services. METHODS The method of factor analysis was adopted to extract the common characteristics (major decision factors) from a list of 17 items patients would regard as important when they planned to receive laser and intense pulsed light treatment. In addition, the level of recognition of different medical specialties in cosmetic patients was indirectly forecast using an analytic hierarchy process. RESULTS Medical competence (0.3296) was the most important decision factor, followed by recommendation (0.2198), friendliness (0.1350), cost (0.1307), complete service (0.0984), and the physical attributes of the physician (0.0865). Dermatologists and plastic surgeons outscored cosmetic practitioners in five factors except for cost, in which the plastic surgeons were weakest. CONCLUSION Medical competence and recommendation are the core issues for cosmetic patients. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons gain better overall recognition than physicians of other medical specialties in cosmetic patients. [source] Fire hazard evaluation of thermoplastics based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 5 2010Baogang Yu Abstract Combustibility performance of 14 compositions including five main thermoplastics (polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)) was tested by cone calorimeter. The fire growth index, total heat release amount index, total smoke release amount index and toxicity product index were calculated, based on which an index system for evaluating fire hazard was set up. All factors in this index system had been analyzed by the analytic hierarchy process, and the specific weight for each factor had been determined. Then fire hazard of thermoplastics was evaluated considering integrated fire hazard index. The results show that fire hazards of HIPS-phosphate fire retardant (PFR), PVC-non-flame retardant, ABS-brominated flame retardant (BFR) and PC/ABS-PFR are higher than PC-BFR and PP-non-halogenated flame retardant. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Project risk evaluation using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process: An application to information technology projectsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 6 2006Fatih Tüysüz Projects are critical to the realization of performing organization's strategies. Each project contains some degree of risk and it is required to be aware of these risks and to develop the necessary responses to get the desired level of project success. Because projects' risks are multidimensional, they must be evaluated by using multi-attribute decision-making methods. The aim of this article is to provide an analytic tool to evaluate the project risks under incomplete and vague information. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a suitable and practical way of evaluating project risks based on the heuristic knowledge of experts is used to evaluate the riskiness of an information technology (IT) project of a Turkish firm. The means of the triangular fuzzy numbers produced by the IT experts for each comparison are successfully used in the pairwise comparison matrices. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 559,584, 2006. [source] Determining the importance weights for the design requirements in the house of quality using the fuzzy analytic network approachINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 5 2004Gülçin Büyüközkan Quality function deployment (QFD) has been used to translate customer needs (CNs) and wants into technical design requirements (DRs) in order to increase customer satisfaction. QFD uses the house of quality (HOQ), which is a matrix providing a conceptual map for the design process, as a construct for understanding CNs and establishing priorities of DRs to satisfy them. This article uses the analytic network process (ANP), the general form of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), to prioritize DRs by taking into account the degree of the interdependence between the CNs and DRs and the inner dependence among them. In addition, because human judgment on the importance of requirements is always imprecise and vague, this work concentrates on a fuzzy ANP approach in which triangular fuzzy numbers are used to improve the quality of the responsiveness to CNs and DRs. A numerical example is presented to show the proposed methodology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Ranking of alternatives with ordered weighted averaging operatorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 5 2004M. Teresa Lamata Multiattribute decision making is an important part of the decision process for both individual and group problems. We incorporate the fuzzy set theory and the basic nature of subjectivity due to ambiguity to achieve a flexible decision approach suitable for uncertain and fuzzy environments. Let us consider the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in which the labels are structured as fuzzy numbers. To obtain the scoring that corresponds to the best alternative or the ranking of the alternatives, we need to use a total order for the fuzzy numbers involved in the problem. In this article, we consider a definition of such a total order, which is based on two subjective aspects: the degree of optimism/pessimism reflected with the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operators. A numerical example is given to illustrate the approach. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Decomposing the Value of Agricultural Multifunctionality: Combining Contingent Valuation and the Analytical Hierarchy ProcessJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2007Zein Kallas Q18; Q11; Q25 Abstract Agricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental and social functions by this sector. Nevertheless, not all these contributions to society are valued in markets, moreover a large share of them are public goods. For this reason, in order to make this concept of multifunctionality operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand of such functions. The objective of this article was to implement an empirical application along these lines. For this purpose, the agricultural system of cereal steppes in Tierra de Campos in Spain is taken as a case study. The economic valuation technique used relies on a combined implementation of contingent valuation and the analytical hierarchy process. The results obtained demonstrate the existence of a significant demand for the different attributes included in the multifunctionality concept, although this demand is heterogeneous and is based on the socioeconomic characteristics of individual persons. [source] Farmers' objectives as determinants of organic farming adoption: the case of Catalonian vineyard productionAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2010Zein Kallas Organic farming adoption; Duration analysis; Analytical hierarchy process; Farmers' objectives Abstract This article assesses the decision to adopt organic farming practices. We use Duration Analysis (DA) to determine why farmers adopt organic farming practices and what influences the timing of adoption. We extend previous studies by including farmers' objectives, risk preferences, and agricultural policies as covariates in the DA model. The Analytical Hierarchy Process is used as a multicriteria decision-making methodology to measure farmers' objectives. The empirical analysis uses farm-level data from a sample of vineyard farms in the Spanish region of Catalonia. Farmers' objectives are found to influence the conversion decision. Moreover, farmers who are not risk averse are more likely to adopt organic farming. Results point to the policy changes that have been most relevant in motivating adoption of organic practices. [source] The institutional environment in the strategic decision of the emerging companies: the case of the Algerian sugar industryJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 5-6 2009Mohamed Akli Achabou Abstract During these last years, Algeria, like some other developing countries, is undergoing important institutional changes. The structural adjustment plan (1990s) and the association agreement signed with the European Union (2005) are some of the political tools that guide these profound changes that have considerable impacts on the strategic behaviour of local enterprises. Beyond these mutations at national level, important policy changes are observed at the international level, like the recent reform of the European sugar policy that constitutes a considerable shifter on the behaviour of enterprises operating in the Algerian sugar refining industry. The present research aims to measure the weight of the institutional criteria on the strategic decision of sugar refining companies in Algeria, by the combination of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis and the analytical hierarchy process. The ultimate purpose is to contribute to the analysis of interactions that exist between institutional changes induced by the globalization process and the strategic choices of local enterprises in an emergent economy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Correcting illegitimate rank reversals: proper adjustment of criteria weights prevent alleged AHP intransitivityJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 5-6 2008Diederik J. D. Wijnmalen Abstract This note comments on a paper by Triantaphyllou (J. Multi-Crit. Decis. Anal. 2001; 10: 11,25) that attempts to demonstrate new types of rank reversal that can occur with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). He contends that the reversals are attributable to the various types of normalization that are used with the addition step in AHP synthesis. His paper goes on to suggest that the multiplicative AHP should be used instead. This note shows that the cause of the problem is another one: AHP's independence axiom, which prohibits adjusting the criteria weights when the set of alternatives or the type of normalization change. If the criteria weights are adjusted properly, none of the rank reversals will occur. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An investigation of the role of scale values in the DS/AHP method of multi-criteria decision makingJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 6 2002Malcolm J. Beynon Abstract DS/AHP is a method of multi-criteria decision making based on the Dempster,Shafer theory of evidence and the analytic hierarchy process. Central to the utilization of DS/AHP is the composing of preference judgements on identified groups of decision alternatives (DA) across a number of criteria against all the DA present in the problem in question. This paper exposits a series of results whose objectives are to aid in the development of an effective set of preference scale values for use within DS/AHP. These results relate directly to the concomitant level of ignorance (uncertainty) with the judgements made on a single criterion. Two particular directions of investigation are undertaken, firstly in determining the necessary number of scale values available and secondly finding the necessary differences between scale values, dependent on whether an arithmetic or geometric progression is the basis for the scale values. Through an example, the implications and utilization of these results within DS/AHP are illustrated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Euclid: Strategic alternative assessment matrixJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2002Madjid Tavana Abstract The vast amount of information that must be considered to solve inherently ill-structured and complex strategic problems creates a need for tools to help decision makers (DMs) recognize the complexity of this process and develop a rational model for strategy evaluation. Over the last several decades, a philosophy and a body of intuitive and analytical methods have been developed to assist DMs in the evaluation of strategic alternatives. However, the intuitive methods lack a structured framework for the systematic evaluation of strategic alternatives while the analytical methods are not intended to capture intuitive preferences. Euclid is a simple and yet sophisticated multiobjective value analysis model that attempts to uncover some of the complexities inherent in the evaluation of strategic alternatives. The proposed model uses a series of intuitive and analytical methods including environmental scanning, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), subjective probabilities, and the theory of displaced ideal, to plot strategic alternatives on a matrix based on their Euclidean distance from the ideal alternative. Euclid is further compared to the quantitative strategic planning matrix (QSPM) in a real world application. The information provided by the users shows that Euclid can significantly enhance decision quality and the DM's confidence. Euclid is not intended to replace the DMs, rather, it provides a systematic approach to support, supplement, and ensure the internal consistency of their judgments through a series of logically sound techniques. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling risk and uncertainty with the analytic hierarchy processJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2002Ido Millet Abstract This paper proposes methods for modelling risk and uncertainty with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). We start by showing why benefit/risk ratios, as described in previous literature, might be an improper modelling approach. We then introduce prototypical case studies where risk plays a role in multicriteria decision making. These cases demonstrate how the AHP can be used to derive relative probabilities, multiple criteria outcome measures, risk criteria, and risk adjustment factors. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Material handling device selection in cellular manufacturingJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 6 2001Marcello Braglia Abstract This paper presents a new multi-criteria decision model for the material handling device (MHD) selection problem in cellular manufacturing systems. Given a set of manufacturing cells based on several automatic work-centres, the technique makes it possible to select a particular MHD for each cell in an integrated way, with different constraints being taken into consideration. The approach is based on two different multi-attribute analyses executed with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology, and a final integer linear programming including important limitations faced by the designer when making MHD investment decisions. An example using real data is provided to illustrate this methodology. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Two new cases of rank reversals when the AHP and some of its additive variants are used that do not occur with the multiplicative AHPJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2001Evangelos Triantaphyllou Abstract Many researchers have long observed some cases in which certain ranking irregularities can occur when the original analytic hierarchy process (AHP), or some of its variants, are used. This paper presents two new categories of ranking irregularities which defy common intuition. These ranking irregularities occur when one decomposes a decision problem into a set of smaller problems each defined on two alternatives and the same criteria as the original problem. These irregularities are possible when the original AHP, or some of its additive variants, are used. Computational experiments on random test problems and an examination of some real-life case studies suggest that these ranking irregularities are dramatically likely to occur. This paper also proves that these ranking irregularities are not possible when a multiplicative variant of the AHP is used. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Customer-Driven Product Development Through Quality Function Deployment in the U.S. and JapanTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000John J. Cristiano Quality Function Deployment is a tool for bringing the voice of the customer into the product development process from conceptual design through to manufacturing. It begins with a matrix that links customer desires to product engineering requirements, along with competitive benchmarking information, and further matrices can be used to ultimately link this to design of the manufacturing system. Unlike other methods originally developed in the U.S. and transferred to Japan, the QFD methodology was born out of Total Quality Control (TQC) activities in Japan during the 1960s and has been transferred to companies in the U.S. This article reports on the results of a 1995 survey of more than 400 companies in the U.S. and Japan using QFD. The research questions investigated in this study were developed both inductively from QFD case studies in the U.S. and Japan and deductively from the literature. The reported results are in part counterintuitive. The U.S. companies reported a higher degree of usage, management support, cross-functional involvement, use of QFD driven data sources, and perceived benefits from using QFD. For the most part, the main uses of QFD in the U.S. were restricted to the first matrix ("House of Quality") that links customer requirements to product engineering requirements and rarely was this carried forward to later matrices. U.S. companies were more apt to use newly collected customer data sources (e.g., focus groups) and methods for analyzing customer requirements. Japanese companies reported using existing product data (e.g., warranty) and a broader set of matrices to a greater extent. The use of analytical techniques in conjunction with QFD (e.g., simulation, design of experiments, regression, mathematical target setting, and analytic hierarchy process) was not wide spread in either country. U.S. companies were more likely to report benefits of QFD in improving cross-functional integration and better decision-making processes compared to Japanese companies. Possible reasons for these cross-national differences as well as their implications are discussed. [source] | |||||||||||||