ORIGINAL PAPER Methodological problems in QFD and directions for future

Abstract Quality function deployment (QFD) is a pop-ular tool for product development in industry. QFD aims at setting targets for product characteristics so that products optimally meet customer demands. In this article, the focus is not on the actual effects of QFD but on more funda-mental possibilities and limitations of QFD. In particular, I will discuss a number of methodological problems in QFD. One of the most disturbing methodological problems is the impossibility of translating individual into collective cus-tomer demands and the impossibility of translating cus-tomer demands into engineering characteristics without violating one or more very reasonable conditions. These problems are due to Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem. I discuss whether a number of alternative QFD approaches are helpful in overcoming these methodological problems and suggest directions for the further development of QFD and for research