Complete Question:
The ALPHA Timer Development Project (A)
Roger Terry hurried down the hallway toward the planning meeting for the ALPHA timer product development project. Terry had served as project manager for the initial stage of the ALPHA single-block product development, and he was now preparing to start the follow-on development activities.
The ALPHA timer development project was a major effort for Doorley Controls, Inc., to develop a new platform design for its washing machine timer control mechanism. The project was started with a conscious strategy to gain market position with Doorley’s key customers: Whirlpool, Maytag, and Frigidaire. The idea was to create a new core product design to increase sales to Whirlpool. Doorley planned to replace multiple existing timers with a lower cost, single product platform with enhancements. While existing timers were made with numerous plastic and metal parts requiring a lot of hand assembly, the ALPHA would be made mostly of molded plastic parts, assembled by automation. The product concept also included a unique feature called quiet cycle-select, which allowed the user to index the control shaft quietly. The idea for it came out of Doorley’s internal quality function deployment (QFD) analysis. The results of the ALPHA QFD analysis are shown in the attached document.
What features of the timer design appear to offer Doorley the strongest advantages over its competitors products?
Answer:
Doorley Controls, Inc.
ALPHA Timer Development Project
Features of the Timer Design that appear to offer Doorley the strongest advantages over its competitors' products
By examining the QFD Diagram attached, one can spot the features that offer Doorley the strongest advantages over its competitors' products. They include the following:
Explanation:
Doorley's competitive advantages in the timer device are derived from the features of the new improved timer which will allow its major customers and the users to enjoy the better quality, higher reliability, and cheaper price being offered than its rivals'. These factors allow Doorley to generate more sales or superior margins compared to its competitive market rivals. Doorley also derives competitive advantage by installing "a unique feature in the timer called 'quiet cycle-select,' which allows the user to index the control shaft quietly."
