Introduction
Working at the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation as the Quality Assurance Representative, one has to make sure that the customers’ needs are addressed exactly and that every demand is met. The requirements are based not only on the necessity to maintain customer satisfaction rates high but also to facilitate the safety thereof. To navigate the elaborate system that incorporates a variety of elements and demands supervising a range of processes, one should consider the use of the taxonomy that permits locating the target customers, determine their requirements, and apply the Kano Model for the further categorization of the latter (Benbow & Kubiak, 2009e).
Customers
At first glance, the organizations and physical persons purchasing helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft should be viewed as the customers of the QA process. Indeed, their safety is at risk unless proper tests are run. Moreover, unless the defects are removed, aircraft cannot possibly be used as piloting them will put the lives of pilots in jeopardy.
However, apart from the people and companies purchasing the end product, the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation can be viewed as a customer as its success in the target market hinges on the efficacy of the assurance process and, therefore, the quality of the product. Therefore, two primary customers need the team working in the QA department to strive to meet (Benbow & Kubiak, 2009a).
Requirements
According to the Kano Model, the existing quality requirements can be categorized in the following manner:
Must-Be Requirements
The set of basic requirements for the QA processes at Sikorsky Aircraft includes the necessity to meet the deadlines set by the customer, the provision of the required quantity of items purchased, and the delivery of the products that passed the inspection and, therefore, meet the current quality standards. According to the Kano Model, these principles make the bulk of the QA process (Benbow & Kubiak, 2009b).
One-Dimensional Requirements
Among the satisfiers, also known as one-dimensional requirements, the increase in the speed and efficacy of the QA processes needs to be mentioned. Though not obligatory, it has been stated by the team a couple of times as the current direction that the QA Department is going in. Therefore, failing to keep the promise will result in customer dissatisfaction (Benbow & Kubiak, 2009c).
Delighters
Finally, suggestions for the further improvement of the QA processes and the end product can be viewed as delighters. While the staff members are not obliged to provide their suppositions concerning the QA processes improvement, the company will appreciate it. As far as the delighters for the customers are concerned, equipping the aircraft with an additional tool for facilitating safety can be considered a rather powerful delighter. Thus, the firm will make it evident that it cares for its clients and caters to their needs (Benbow & Kubiak, 2009d).
Conclusion
Serving as the foundation for distinguishing between different types of customers, locate specific demands, and differentiate between the latter, the Kano Model can be considered rather efficient in improving the quality of the services provided to Sikorsky Aircraft. Because entrepreneurship focuses on facilitating not only quality but also the safety of the end product, it is imperative to make sure that the crucial requirements are identified accurately and that the essential requirements are met fully. As soon as the quality standards are identified and met, prerequisites for building customer loyalty can be created.
Reference List
Benbow, T. M., & Kubiak, D. W. (2009a). Chapter 3. Impact on stakeholders. In The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 22-23). Milwaukee, WI: American Society for Quality.
Benbow, T. M., & Kubiak, D. W. (2009b). Chapter 4: Critical to x (CTx) requirements. In The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 24-25). Milwaukee, WI: American Society for Quality.
Benbow, T. M., & Kubiak, D. W. (2009c). Chapter 5: Benchmarking. In The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 26-27). Milwaukee, WI: American Society for Quality.
Benbow, T. M., & Kubiak, D. W. (2009d). Chapter 6: Business performance measures. In The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 28-31). Milwaukee, WI: American Society for Quality.
Benbow, T. M., & Kubiak, D. W. (2009e). Chapter 7: Financial measures. In The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 32-36). Milwaukee, WI: American Society for Quality.