What is Kano Model in Six Sigma

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An essential component of the Lean Six Sigma technique is the KANO model. The Kano Model is a Six Sigma tool that evaluates a product’s or service’s qualities according to how customers perceive them. Based on how effectively it will satisfy customers in three areas—basic needs, performance, and excitement—product development teams can balance the benefits of investing time and money in a particular attribute. Kano model six sigma is an effective tool for keeping a company focused on prioritizing clients’ demands. Managers can use it to categorize proposed aspects of a new product or service and assess whether consumers will find them intriguing, helpful, or fulfilling.

To explain to you better, the below picture can help you understand the Kano model six sigma. The Kano model is a technique for understanding customer requirements that involves mapping out user preferences along two axes; the vertical axis represents output satisfaction. High satisfaction is represented at the top of the vertical axis, and very little satisfaction is represented at the bottom.

The horizontal axis of this graph represents how completely operational a good or service is. The vertical axis displays the customer’s level of satisfaction. The circumstance in which customer pleasure is directly related to how completely functioning the product or service is represented by the line passing through the origin at a 45-degree angle. It stands for the circumstance in which the consumer is more content with a product or service that is more completely functioning and less satisfied with a less functional one.

Who and why Kano Model was developed?

The Kano Model was developed in the 1980s in Japan by Professor Noriaki Kano. He has developed a technique to categorize consumer preferences for a product’s or service’s features as the goal. He classified these consumer/customer responses into four categories: desirable, must-be, indifferent, and attractive.

Kano model six sigma was developed the below three categories to cover :

• Necessities to be met: To enable a business to enter the market.
• Meeting performance requirements: To enable a business to stay in the market.
• Fulfilling the demand for excitement: To enable a business to succeed and be world-class.

Now, that you may have understood why the Kano model is developed, we can look at the five major categories of the Kano model Six sigma. 

The below five categories are used to group the important aspects while using the Kano Model to develop or enhance a good or service. The development team can decide which features to include and which to exclude by classifying them into the below details.

1. Basic (mandatory or obligatory)

Customers expect a product or service to have the features listed in this category. In essence to this, if the adequate product or service lacks these, it will ultimately lead to total customer dissatisfaction. These features are not supposed to please or impress customers, but they are intended to be provided regardless of the customer’s reaction since they are must-be-done features.

2. Performance (One-Dimensional) 

These features can be thought of as extensions to the fundamental features that customers want that businesses take note of and implement. Even if they are not met, they are not a deal-breaker, leading to some but not total unhappiness.

But if they are attained, the result will be much more enjoyable. They will even provide your product or service a little competitive advantage over the competition.

3. Excitement( Attractive)

These features increase the product or service’s attraction to your target audience. There won’t be any customer dissatisfaction even if they’re not met. They exist to further provide you with a competitive advantage. They help your product or service stand out in the eyes of the customer while remaining unnoticed by them.

4. Indifferent 

Regarding client satisfaction with its presence or absence, these features make a significant difference either way. The customer may find it difficult to decide whether the features satisfy their requirements or not.

5. Reverse

The presence of these features will leave the buyer completely dissatisfied. If you don’t include these elements, customers will not buy your goods or services and might even turn to your rivals. Likewise, there is no satisfaction with their absence.

Let me explain with a simple demonstration – 

Expected characteristics or features of a good or service are known as “dissatisfiers” or “fundamental needs”(legible forms, correctly spelled name, basic functionality). Most of the time, these needs remain “unspoken”. The client will be utterly disappointed if these needs are not met. When staying at a hotel, cleanliness is an excellent example of an “unspoken” demand. This includes a clean bathroom, new mattresses, and a welcoming aroma in the air. One does not ask for a clean room while making a hotel reservation. They expect it. They will be extremely unsatisfied if this fundamental demand is not received.

As mentioned above Kano sigma model can be classified 

• Must-be: Basic requirements, required, and occasionally unsatisfactory are other names for this. These are the bare minimums that your clients demand. Giving these won’t get you any praise or lead to greater satisfaction because they are expected. But if you don’t give them, people will be disappointed. A hotel cannot boast that every room has a bed since that is what the consumer wants and needs. One can be unhappy with the motel if there are no beds available.
• One-dimensional: These requirements, also known as performance requirements, are predicated on the notion that more is better and that the more frequently you meet these requirements, the higher your client satisfaction will be.
• Attractive: These are the items that can “WOW” your clients and serve as delighters for them. As they can never anticipate seeing such a feature or even give it any thought. Even without a significant improvement in their functionality, these can promote satisfaction. This can be a chance of making delighters into the Must-be’s extremely quick. We no longer experience WOWs as often because we have grown accustomed to them. Over time, it might become expensive.
• Indifference: In some circumstances, a feature may not interest the customer. Here, regardless of the level of functionality or how well anything is done, satisfaction remains constant. The horizontal axis can be used to illustrate this, where satisfaction remains constant from low functionality to high functionality.

Benefits of the Kano model six sigma

The Kano Model saves time by avoiding the development of qualities that would irritate or unsatisfied clients. Additionally, it assists companies in determining the point at which a product element transforms from being desirable to essential. These are the elements that people look at the products with a particular category.

Product teams may better understand what customers want today, not yesterday, by using customer surveys. If businesses create items for consumers of yesterday, they will lag as the customer’s desire for their products will be demanding as per today’s needs. Blackberry phones, which relied on the keyboard have experienced a sharp decline after touch displays for iPhones were developed.

After knowing the importance of the Kano model six sigma you may want to learn it and enhance your business. 

To do so, I can suggest one of the top-ranked institutes named Henry Harvin. 

Why is the Kano model important to understand? 

Far more than your clients, you must understand their preferences. 

• Incorporate your procedures

Once you are aware of the details of your consumers’ wishes, you may relate them to the organizational procedures that will determine whether you can meet them or not.

• When a Delighter becomes a Must-Be

You can determine when your Delighter will start changing into a Must-Be by implementing a Kano analysis.

• Carrying out trade-offs

You can choose to minimize the effect on customer satisfaction if there are disagreements between what different customers value.

Now let us take an industry example for the kano model six sigma 

The sales team informed the shipping team that their consumers truly wanted their purchases processed quickly and delivered within 24 hours. They claimed that would offer them an edge over its competitors over near competitors. Everyone agreed that the consumer would be delighted by this.

Unfortunately, delivery within 48 hours is not always the same due to shipping issues. It sometimes takes different significant technological and procedural modifications to deliver in 24 hours.

When the corporate Master Black Belt conducted a Kano model analysis and interviewed a sample of customers, he discovered that 48 hours was a Must-Be and 24 hours was a Delighter. He questioned, “Why should we invest in producing a Delighter when we can’t even get the Must-be right? ” if they’re not even operating at the fundamental or mandatory level.

Senior leadership decides not to bother about providing 24-hour deliveries at that time and to focus the resources on getting all deliveries made within the 48-hour timeframe.

Looking at the above advantages you may like to learn about Kano model which is the main part of Six sigma. Right now I can remember about Henry Harvin, which I feel can be the best selection if you want to learn more and enhance your skills to build or improve your business.

Henry Harvin

The institute is well-designed with all the required amenities for the learners of their interests. Henry Harvin has multiple courses and with the well-planned training team, the institute is leading in the Ed-Tech industry. They offer online interactive learning opportunities with the flexibility of scheduling the classes as per the slots as well as the classroom facilities. They have custom-tailored the courses as per the changing industry standards to meet each candidate’s expectations to get the best job. The internship facility with the multiple real-time projects and hands-on experience on the equipment needed is focused to help candidates to become the subject expertise. The support team with the motto of 100% placement assistance is available round the clock.

Henry Harvin offers certification courses to help you stand out from the crowd with the Hallmark of the certification beside your name. You can place your resume with outstanding recognition from the institute which can help you build your best impression on the recruiters and can highlight your CV.

The Bootcamp sessions with the post-completion of the course are a valuable advantage of this institute to help enhance your quality of education. E-learning access with the feasibility to learn at any time with the free access to Hackathons and competitions are also included as a part of the curriculum in this institute.

Some of the major courses offered at Henry Harvin 

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course
• Six Sigma Champion Certified(SSCC)
• Diploma in Lean Six sigma
• Advanced Statistics for Six Sigma course
• Post-graduate program in Lean Six sigma
• And many more…

Conclusion

Hence in simple words, the Kano model six sigma is a technique that evaluates a product’s or service’s primary attributes and the degree to which they affect customers’ satisfaction. Resources can then be directed toward the essential elements that will boost customer satisfaction. Henceforth, the Kano model six sigma allows businesses to concentrate on raising customer satisfaction levels. By doing this, they will make sure that every product and service they provide has features that serve their customers. As you can see, this is a very helpful tool especially when the classification is done effectively.

FAQ’s

Q.1 Is the Kano model six sigma used in every business?

Ans. Most the businesses consider Kano model of six sigma to establish their business as a better prospect.

Q.2 Is Kano model six sigma part of learning in the Six sigma course?

Ans. Yes, you can learn the Kano model also as it is part of Six sigma. The Kano model is the critical technique used by most business teams to grow in the market.

Q.3 Can I learn Kano model six sigma?

Ans. Yes, you can learn. Many institutions provide the Kano model six sigma.

Q.4 Can following the Kano model fetch me clients for my business?

Ans. Yes, the Kano model six sigma is meant to help people to learn to grab clients’ attention to their respective businesses.

Q.5 I am new to my business. Can you suggest to me what to start with to expand my business?

Ans. You can start your business and try following the Kano model to help to grow your business.