Edinburgh Napier University

  Purpose – Quality function deployment (QFD) is a method for structured product planning and
development that enables a development team to specify clearly the wants and needs of customers.
This method has been successfully employed in the construction industry in developed countries.
However, the benefits of QFD have not been practically realised in developing countries such as Nigeria.
Hence, this research aims to investigate the awareness and effectiveness of QFD as a quality control
technique that enhances the satisfaction of clients in terms of quality, cost and project delivery time in
design and build projects.
Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative and quantitative research approach in the form of
in-depth telephone interviews and questionnaires was used to obtain the views of construction
professionals such as civil engineers, architects, project managers, chief executive officers and trades
people involved in design and build projects in the Nigerian construction industry, as well as 50 clients
to ascertain the level of satisfaction derived from these design and build projects.
Findings – The results of this research are derived from statistical analysis and show that there is
currently little awareness of QFD within the Nigerian construction industry or its potential
effectiveness in design and build projects.
Originality/value – There has been little previous research into the use of QFD in the Nigerian
construction industry, hence this paper provides insight but also highlights the need for further research.