Abstract
In this article we describe and discuss QFD (quality function deployment) as a framework for managing software requirements. Experiences were gained while participating as researchers in a commercial large-scale software telecommunications project at Ericsson Radio Systems AB. We found that prerequisites for succeeding with QFD include having visible customers and users, forming a cross-functional team adequately trained in QFD, and allowing adequate time for its first application. Advantages of using QFD are: better focus on customers and users, an effective means of prioritizing and communicating software requirements; and managing non-functional requirements. Issues not fully supported by QFD include adequate abstractions levels in describing requirements, handling temporal relations between requirements and initiating the use of QFD for a new development project.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Davis A.M. Software Requirements: Objects, Functions and States (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1993).
Hauser J.R. and Clausing D. The house of quality. Harvard Business Review, May-June (1988) 63-73. (Reading, Massachusetts).
Cohen L. Quality Function Deployment: How to Make QFD Work for You (Addison-Wesley, 1995).
Sullivan L. Quality function deployment. Quality Progress, June (1988) 39-50.
Hofmeister K.R. Quality function deployment. Excerpts from the implementation manual for three day QFD workshop. June 24-25, 1991. In 3rd Symposium on Quality Function Deployment, 1991, pp. 19-83.
Curtis B., Krasner H. and Iscoe H. A field study of the software design process for large systems. Communications of the ACM, 31(1988) 1268-1287.
Brown P.G. QFD: echoing the voice of the customer. AT &T Technical Journal, 70(2) (1991) 18-32.
Havener C.L. Improving the quality of quality. Quality Progress, November (1993) 41-44.
Potts C. Software engineering research revisited. IEEE Software, 10(5) (1993) 19-28.
Lutz R.R. Analyzing software requirements errors in safety-critical, embedded systems. In IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering, January 4-6, 1993, San Diego. 1993, pp. 126-133.
Saaty T.L. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1980).
Karlsson J. Software requirements prioritizing. In 2nd IEEE International Conference on Requirements Engineering, April 15-18, 1996, Colorado Springs. 1996, pp. 110-116.
King B. Better Designs in Half the Time: Implementing QFD in America, 3rd edn (GOAL/QPC, 1989). (Methuen, Massachusetts).
Hunter M.R. and Van Landringham R.D. Listening to the customer using QFD. Quality Progress, 27(4) (1994), 55-59.
Lubars M., Potts C. and Richter C. A review of the state of the practice in requirements modeling. In IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering, January 4-6, 1993, San Diego. 1993, pp. 2-14.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karlsson, J. Managing software requirements using quality function deployment. Software Quality Journal 6, 311–326 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018580522999
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018580522999