A customer need like “reliable delivery” is too broad to improve directly. The CTQ-TreeA visual tool that breaks a high-level customer Need down into measurable Requirements (CTQs) and specific Specifications with targets, limits and units. Click term for full definition 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 in short
- Write the need at the top. Use the customer’s language, for example “reliable delivery”.
- Add the requirements. Ask: what must be true for the customer to call this need fulfilled?
- Add specifications. For each requirement, define a metric with target, limits and unit.
- 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.