Value sensitivity of Quality Function Deployment approaches in systems engineering-driven construction projects

Abstract

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrices are essential to systems engineering approaches as they facilitate stakeholder-value prioritization, requirement analyses, and conflict resolutions through organizing and quantifying qualitative considerations. Unfortunately, there can be concern to the verity of these quantifications and the associated sensitivity of the systems engineering process. We explore this matter through the use of probabilistic models and computer simulations to illustrate how QFD variances can impact decision-making. We use a simplified QFD implementation for large-scale photovoltaic system construction projects-wherein we relate stakeholder prioritization to concept selections that dictate the quality of the constructed systems-to facilitate this discussion. Our results support other research, which indicate that QFD is robust and can provide meaningful results even when faced with significant degrees of uncertainty. This study not only demonstrates the robustness of QFD, it also conveys the importance of meticulous QFD implementation and illustrates an application of systems engineering in construction workflows.