Why Have A Protocol?

Also known as product requirements, product

definition, etc. Protocol in general is a formal agreement between negotiating parties new products require trade offs and whole team is to write the protocol Is it obvious and simple? Actually is one of the top success factors distinguishing winning from losing projects. Maybe because it involves more than technical aspects.
12-2

Purposes of Protocol
To determine what marketing and R&D groups need to do their work.

In other words to identify what each dept will deliver to the final product that the customer buys Think concept life cycle: this is more than a simple concept statement, yet less than we will have when the first prototype is available. Try to identify the key deliverables at this point. To communicate essential to all players and integrate their actions, directing outcomes consistent with the full screen and financials. To set boundaries on development process or cycle time. To permit the development process to be managed (i.e., what needs to be done, when, why, how, by whom, whether).- issue of measurement to monitor
12-3

Contents of a Product Protocol

Target market Product positioning Product attributes function, features

and (benefits) Competitive comparison Augmentation dimensions Timing Marketing requirements Financial requirements Production requirements Regulatory requirements Corporate strategy requirements Potholes

12-4

Example of Difficulty of Translating Idea Into Product: Morton Hot Salt

The Voice of the Customer (VOC) might suggest this is

a great idea. But how to translate it into a product? How spicy? How different from regular chili powder? Without specific, precise information, food technologists are left just to guess.

12-5

Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

A technique designed to ensure that customer needs are focused on throughout the new product project.
First step is the House of Quality (HOQ): gathers desired attributes from customers and translates them to engineering characteristics. Requires inputs from marketing and technical personnel; encourages communication and cooperation across the functional areas.
12-6

QFD and Its House of Quality

Figure 12.4

12-7

 Improving resolution slows down text printing Tradeoffs in QFD Example and really slows down graphics printing.

Increasing edge sharpness slows down both text and

graphics printing. Duplex printing speeds up text and graphics printing. Postscript compatibility improves resolution and edge sharpness.

12-8

Moving to Later Stages of QFD

House of Quality:
Customer Attributes
Converted to:

Figure 12.5

Engineering Characteristics

Parts Deployment:
Engineering Characteristics
Converted to:

Parts Characteristics

Process Planning:
Parts Characteristics
Converted to:

Process Operations

Production Planning:
Process Operations Production Requirements
Converted to: Source: Adapted from John R. Hauser and Don Clausing, The House of Quality, Harvard Business Review, May-June, 1988.
12-9

QFD Realities
Substantial cost and time commitment.
Only mixed results in some applications. Requires top management support and

commitment. Must be viewed internally as an investment. Requires good functional integration. May work better if the team members have a successful track record of working together before.
12-10

Improving QFD Efficiency

Concentrate on only some of the Engineering Characteristics: the most critical, or the ones where improvements are easy to accomplish.
Organize the Engineering Characteristics into groups, and designate responsibility to functional areas. Do cost-benefit analysis on each Engineering Characteristic to determine which provide the greatest benefit relative to cost of improvement. Aid to thinking not substitute
12-11