Kano model
The Kano model (also: The Kano model of customer satisfaction ) is a model for the systematic achievement of customer satisfaction in a project or for a complex product. It describes the relationship between the achievement of certain properties of a product / service and the expected satisfaction of customers. From the analysis of customer requirements, Noriaki Kano (* 1940), professor at the University of Tokyo , deduced in 1978 that customer requirements can be of different types. The Kano model named after him allows the wishes (expectations) of customers to be recorded and taken into account during product development .
Kano model
The Kano model distinguishes five levels of quality:
- Basic characteristics that are so fundamental and self-evident that customers only become aware of them if they are not fulfilled (implicit expectations). If the basic requirements are not met, dissatisfaction arises; if they are fulfilled, there is no satisfaction. The increase in benefit compared to the differentiation from competitors is very small.
- The customer is aware of performance characteristics ; they eliminate dissatisfaction or create satisfaction depending on the degree of fulfillment.
- Enthusiasm characteristics , on the other hand, are beneficial characteristics that the customer does not necessarily expect. They set the product apart from the competition and evoke enthusiasm. A small increase in performance can lead to a disproportionate benefit. The differentiation from the competition can be slight, but the benefits are enormous.
- Insignificant features are irrelevant to the customer, whether they are present or absent. They can therefore not create satisfaction, but they also do not lead to dissatisfaction.
- Rejection characteristics : If present, lead to dissatisfaction, but absent to customer satisfaction
To a certain extent, the model represents a transfer and expansion of the two-factor theory (Herzberg) (a work motivation theory). The definition of the basic characteristics (Kano) corresponds to the hygiene factors (Herzberg), the performance characteristics and also enthusiasm -Characteristics according to Kano are comparable with the motivational factors (Herzberg). The expectations regarding a product feature are not identical for all individuals. While z. B. Person A classifies a product feature as an enthusiasm feature, the same circumstance can be a base feature for person B and a rejection feature for person C.
The fact that the assessment of product properties is always related to the product price is also to be seen differentiated. It is therefore advisable to also ascertain the reservation price (or reservation price ) for individual product features empirically.
Seen over time, the properties change, as a habituation effect arises. A characteristic of enthusiasm can become a performance and later a basic characteristic.
Examples
|
Product Using the car as an example: |
Service Using the example of website creation: |
|
| Basic features | Security, rust protection | Setting up the URL, provision of web space (in gigabytes) |
| Performance characteristics | Driving characteristics, acceleration, service life, consumption | Tools used, changeability, availability in case of problems |
| Enthusiasm traits | Special equipment, special design |
Easy to use, can also be used on browsers that are rarely used, update service with improvements |
| Insignificant features | for a specific group of customers: automatic transmission, sunroof | Hardware that the service provider uses when creating |
| Rejection characteristics | Rust stains, expired HU |
Page cannot be reached, content errors, images are not displayed, visible HTML tags, spelling errors Here a gradation is possible, e.g. B. critical error, main error and secondary error (see error types (QM) ) |
| Habituation effect | While airbags, braking and steering assistance, ABS etc. used to be special equipment (performance or excitement) that could trigger satisfaction, they are now being assumed by an increasing number of customers; from the customer's point of view , they may already be part of the basic features . |
In the past, images and text were enough to inspire the user; today, good design is almost a basic feature, and the amount of data provided is constantly increasing; What is still regarded as generous today will be standard tomorrow and the day after tomorrow perhaps insufficient and therefore a knockout criterion. |
Empirical measurement
Customer expectations can be measured both as a structured interview and in the form of a written survey. Prof. Kano has developed a bipolar survey for this. Respondents answer twice with regard to the product property to be measured:
- Functional (positively formulated)
- Dysfunctional (formulated negatively)
Examples
| I would be happy | I assume that | I don't care | I'll just accept that | That would bother me very much | |
| Functional (positively formulated) | |||||
| What would you say if the product had ...? | |||||
| What would you say if there was more ...? | |||||
| Dysfunctional (formulated negatively) | |||||
| What would you say if the product did NOT have ...? | |||||
| What would you say if there were less ...? | |||||
evaluation
The typification can be derived from the combination of the answers to the functional and dysfunctional questions
| Functional: | Dysfunctional: | feature | ||
| I assume that | + | That would bother me very much | → | Basic feature |
| I would be happy | + | That would bother me very much | → | Performance characteristic |
| I would be happy | + | I don't care | → | Enthusiasm trait |
| I don't care | + | I don't care | → | Insignificant feature |
| That would bother me very much | + | I assume that | → | Rejection feature |
Illogical answers are not taken into account in the evaluation;
- z. B. Functional + Dysfunctional: I would be very happy.
Collection tools
With the Kano model, it makes sense to use standardized questions in order to keep the interviewer's influence on the respondent as low as possible. It is therefore advisable to collect data via questionnaires . Options are the classic paper questionnaire, questionnaire interviews or conducting an online survey .
Demographic characteristics
In any case, it is helpful to collect relevant demographic features in order to be able to determine connections ( correlation ) between a feature typification and demographic features in the evaluation .
- Taking the car as an example: Men between the ages of 40 and 60 see an 8-cylinder gasoline engine as an excitement factor, while women between 20 and 30 rate this as a rejection feature.
- Using the website as an example: Young people see the participation of a certain star as an enthusiasm factor (YouTubers, musicians), while adults classify this as a rejection feature.
application areas
Satisfaction measurement
Based on the assumption that satisfaction arises from two factors, namely
- Expectation and
- perceived quality / performance,
the Kano model (among others) can be used to determine expectations as an element for measuring satisfaction. If, in addition to the bipolar questions, questions about an assessment are also asked, it is possible to determine a degree of satisfaction. The Kano characteristics are axiomatically subordinated to functions that describe the relationship between assessment and satisfaction value (here e.g. as a linear function):
| Worst assessment | to | best rating | |
| Basic features: | lowest satisfaction score (e.g. −1) | Indifference value (e.g. 0) | |
| Performance characteristics: | lowest satisfaction rating | Best satisfaction score (e.g. 1) | |
| Enthusiasm features: | Indifference Value (0) | Best satisfaction (e.g. 1) | |
| Insignificant features: | The assessment has no influence on the satisfaction value | ||
From the answer combinations, the satisfaction values per respondent can be calculated for the total or partial amounts in the weighted mean.
As mentioned above, expectations shift over time. This means that satisfaction decreases although the service provision remains the same or even increases - namely when customers see the examined product features as excitement features in the past, but now as basic features.
- Take the car as an example: While a driver airbag used to create satisfaction, a new car today needs several of them, and even then this does not generate satisfaction (it just avoids dissatisfaction).
- Using the website as an example: as already mentioned above, a certain volume of data provided creates satisfaction today and dissatisfaction tomorrow.
The mere performance survey (e.g. "How do you rate ...") alone does not (or only inadequately) reflect the habituation effect.
Target costing
Even with the target costing (Target costing), the Kano model can be used to the importance of individual product characteristics to be determined. The market-into-company approach, which is generally classified as difficult and extensive, can be carried out with a manageable amount of effort using a Kano analysis.
literature
- N. Kano, N. Seraku, F. Takahashi, S. Tsuji: Attractive Quality and Must-be Quality. In: Journal of the Japanese Society for Quality Control. 14 (2) 1984, pp. 147-156. ( abstract ( memento from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ))
- K. Matzler, F. Bailom: Measurement of customer satisfaction. In: Customer-Oriented Management. 4th edition. Gabler Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-409-41408-8 .
Web links
- Kano method , description of the Kano method with calculation examples
Individual evidence
- ↑ Customer requirements - Kano model | QZ-online.de. In: www.qz-online.de. Retrieved August 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Elmar Sauerwein, Franz Bailom, Kurt Matzler, Hans H. Hinterhuber: THE KANO MODEL: HOW TO DELIGHT YOUR CUSTOMERS . In: Preprints Volume I of the IX. International Working Seminar on Production Economics . Innsbruck, Austria February 19, 1996, p. 313 -327 .