Critical to Quality (CTQ) is in the Six Sigma DNA
Critical to Quality, or CTQ, is a very important tool when designing a new product or service for your business. CTQs are the measurable data that is needed on a product or service that your customers have specified as being a very important requirement.
The reason for this? CTQs will dictate the processes involved, the risks, and just about everything that goes into the designing and manufacturing of the product or creating the service.
The need to establish CTQs is at the core of why you are in business. In other words, it is extremely important. This information will make sure your business will stay at the top, because what your customer deems as important key requirements are being met.
One tool that is crucial in defining the CTQs that are important is the QFD (Quality Function Deployment). This tool is a template that helps prioritize the processes of the product or service to best meet the customer’s needs.
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Basic Steps Needed in CTQ
- Identify who your customers are
- Collect VOC (Voice of the Customer) data
- Analyze the VOC data that you collected
- Create a list of CTQ requirements
- Pick one CTQ requirement and make a CTQ tree* for that particular one
*Note: A CTQ tree is a tool that can help prioritizing non-specific customer requirements precise requirements. A separate CTQ tree must be done for each CTQ requirement.
Remember that collecting more data will make this process more valuable, mainly because you will be able to predict risks and other factors with accuracy and be able to address them.
We can’t stress the importance to customer satisfaction enough — this at the very core of the Six Sigma philosophy.
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