What is the Kano model about and why is it important?
One of the important areas for Project Managers to lay emphasis on is Scope Management. Typically this has two dimensions- product scope management and project scope management. While product scope management deals with features and functional requirements, project scope management is about the scope of work involved in terms of activities in a project. The challenge for a project manager is to finalize both scopes and deliver on time within budget, yet fulfilling quality objectives and keeping the customer happy. The Kano model is a model which helps a project manager and business analysts to focus on product scope and helps to utilize resources in a better way to keep the customer happy. The model was proposed by Noriaki Kano in 1984. Although it is originally a quality driven initiative, the use of this in fixed time, fixed price projects helps to manage the requirements scope well to satisfy the customer.
The premise for the model is that if one can differentiate and classify customer requirements based on how it can influence customer satisfaction, it gives an edge to the project team as they can prioritize and focus the work towards features which the customer regards as important.
Requirements classification using Kano Model
The Kano model classifies feature requirements into three quality categories: Expected, Normal and Exciting. (also referred sometimes as Must-be, One Dimensional and Attractive). Below table shows the definition of these classifications:
How to classify the requirements?
The requirement classification is done through interviews and questionnaires. The questionnaire proposed by Kano is widely used to classify requirements. Each question has a functional and a dysfunctional part which has to be answered by the customer. Below are examples:
Based on the answers, for each feature requirement, the classification is done based on the below look-up table:
Summarizing results from the Kano questionnaire
The results from the Kano questionnaire are summarized to classify the requirements as shown below:
The evaluation rule to determine which feature requirements need to be met first can be determined by the rule Expected>Normal>Exciting>Indifferent. First requirements which cause dissatisfaction have to be met first. An approach that can help could be: meet all expected requirements; show competence with regard to normal requirements and make the difference from the competition with few exciting requirements - Of course, keeping time and budget constraints in mind.
Conclusion
The Kano model has been used in wide range of industries for product design. It has been applied also to the information technology world for solution design. A Standish Group research has brought out facts that on an average only 20% of software features are used always or often and 45% of the features are never used. Obtaining customer satisfaction by using the Kano model has potential gains to the vendor as well as the customer.
