A Customer Driven Reliability and Quality Methodology for Existing Products

In order to maximize customer satisfaction in today's global market place, the quality of products and services need to be improved continually. Increased focus on quality, with the attendant proliferation of methods and tools, has created the need for a comprehensive framework to guide the selection of the tools. Individuals within an organization need to know what tools are appropriate in a given situation, and when, where and how the knowledge gained from an effort should be documented. In addition, a common nomenclature to convey quality related information to each other would avoid confusion and improve the communication process thus improving the effectiveness and productivity of the organization.

This paper integrates tools that have evolved recently with the old tools that have been in use for a number of years. It presents a systematic approach to gathering and analyzing customer feedback and improving quality of existing products in engineering as well as manufacturing areas. All the tools are arranged in a sequence for easy reference in the workplace. The paper does not address new product development.