---
title: "CTQ-Tree"
description: "A customer need like “reliable delivery” is too broad to improve directly. The CTQ-Tree breaks it down, step by step, into specifications you can measure and control. Watch the short video, then work with the toolkit PDF: it explains the…"
url: "https://skillagility.com/en/resources/ctq-tree/"
updated: "2026-10-07"
category: 01 DEFINE
---

# CTQ-Tree

A customer need like “reliable delivery” is too broad to improve directly. The CTQ-Tree breaks it down, step by step, into specifications you can measure and control. Watch the short video, then work with the toolkit PDF: it explains the method, shows a worked example and gives you a blank template to fill in.

Tool video

The short tool video will appear here.

[CTQ-Tree_Toolkit_EN](https://skillagility.com/wp-content/plugins/embedpress/assets/pdf/web/viewer.html?&file=https%3A%2F%2Fskillagility.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F10%2FCTQ-Tree_Toolkit_EN.pdf#key=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)

## CTQ-Tree in short

1. **Write the need at the top.** Use the customer’s language, for example “reliable delivery”.
2. **Add the requirements.** Ask: what must be true for the customer to call this need fulfilled?
3. **Add specifications.** For each requirement, define a metric with target, limits and unit.
4. **Check the logic.** Read from bottom to top: does meeting every specification satisfy the need?

Key points

- Need → Requirement (CTQ) → Specification.
- Every specification needs a target, limits and a unit.
- Every metric must trace back to a customer need.
- Use the tree to set targets for Measure, Improve and Control.

**Related tools:** [VOC Translation Matrix](https://skillagility.com/en/resources/voc-translation-matrix/) · [Kano Model](https://skillagility.com/en/resources/kano-model/) · [SMART Goals](https://skillagility.com/en/resources/smart-goals/)