Not every customer requirementA Customer Requirement (CR) is a clean, internal restatement of a Voice of the Customer statement: emotion removed and generalized into a clear customer need. Click term for full definition is equally important. The Kano ModelA framework by Noriaki Kano that classifies customer requirements into Basic, Performance and Excitement categories, based on how their fulfillment affects customer satisfaction. Click term for full definition helps you sort requirements by their effect on satisfaction, so you invest where it matters most. 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.
Kano Model in short
- List the requirements. Use your VOC Translation MatrixA tool that converts subjective customer statements (Voice of the Customer) into a clean Customer Requirement and then into a measurable Critical-to-Quality characteristic (CTQ). Click term for full definition or 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.
- Ask two questions. For each requirement, ask customers: how would you feel if it were present? How would you feel if it were missing?
- Sort into categories. Strong dissatisfaction when missing points to Basic, linear satisfaction to Performance, delight when present to Excitement.
- Set priorities. Fix broken Basics first, then improve Performance. Note Excitement ideas for later or for DFSS.
Key points
- Basic, Performance and Excitement requirements affect satisfaction differently.
- Fix basics first, then improve performance.
- Performance requirements usually become your SMARTA standard for writing project goals. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, so everyone knows exactly what success looks like and by when. Click term for full definition goals.
- Delighters fade into basics over time.