FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH AFRICA Disparities in the Global North and Global South are reflected in the socio-economic and political positions of these two respective regions in the world. This gap is also best exemplified by the disparities in healthcare systems, education, and prevalence of diseases between these two regions. The Global North, which is comprised of advanced countries like the United States has a robust healthcare system and an educated mass. This in turn plays a significant role in reducing the rate of infectious diseases. Contrary, the Global South, comprised of many poor and conflicting countries has problems of high rate of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. What are the primary factors that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS? What preventative measures work best in halting the rapid spread of this virus? This paper will briefly analyze these questions and more with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS in the Global North and Global South. This paper assumes that the Global North and the Global South are considerably different in their social, cultural, political, and economic make-up. However, since this paper is a brief analysis, which aims to compare this disparity and its effects on health, it will proceed by using the United States (Global North) and South Africa (Global South) as representative samples for these regions respectively. The United States, with a population of approximately 320 million is regarded as the vanguard of the developed world, if not the world in general. A hub of diversity and immigrants from all over the world, America is perceived as a rich country of opportunities. South Africa, on the other hand, is a relatively small country with a population of roughly 53 million. It is considered to be the political and economic leader and one of the success stories of sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless, its wealth and socio-political maturity is by no means comparable to that of the United States. The World Health Organization defines HIV as a virus that targets and weakens an individual’s immune system (immunodeficiency) thus making the infected individual susceptible to other infections. (WHO Cite) HIV becomes AIDS only when an infected individual contracts other infections. In advanced countries such as the U.S, Canada, and their likes, HIV infected individuals are able to live longer due to readily available retroviral drugs. On the other hand, underdeveloped or developing countries suffer high rates of mortality due to lack of medication in rural areas and at times urban areas alike. From this reality, it can be highlighted that economically advanced countries are better equipped to diagnose, treat, and perhaps prevent and deter infectious diseases compared to their economically dependent counterparts. Data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nearly 1.2 Americans are carriers of the HIV virus. (CDC CITE2)) However, the ...

1. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AND PREVENT THE
SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND
SOUTH AFRICA
Disparities in the Global North and Global South are reflected
in the socio-economic and political positions of these two
respective regions in the world. This gap is also best
exemplified by the disparities in healthcare systems, education,
and prevalence of diseases between these two regions. The
Global North, which is comprised of advanced countries like the
United States has a robust healthcare system and an educated
mass. This in turn plays a significant role in reducing the rate of
infectious diseases. Contrary, the Global South, comprised of
many poor and conflicting countries has problems of high rate
of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. What are the primary factors
that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS? What preventative
measures work best in halting the rapid spread of this virus?
This paper will briefly analyze these questions and more with
an emphasis on HIV/AIDS in the Global North and Global
South.
This paper assumes that the Global North and the Global South
are considerably different in their social, cultural, political, and
economic make-up. However, since this paper is a brief
analysis, which aims to compare this disparity and its effects on
health, it will proceed by using the United States (Global North)
and South Africa (Global South) as representative samples for
these regions respectively. The United States, with a population
of approximately 320 million is regarded as the vanguard of the
developed world, if not the world in general. A hub of diversity
and immigrants from all over the world, America is perceived as
a rich country of opportunities. South Africa, on the other hand,
is a relatively small country with a population of roughly 53
million. It is considered to be the political and economic leader
and one of the success stories of sub-Saharan Africa.

2. Nonetheless, its wealth and socio-political maturity is by no
means comparable to that of the United States.
The World Health Organization defines HIV as a virus that
targets and weakens an individual’s immune system
(immunodeficiency) thus making the infected individual
susceptible to other infections. (WHO Cite) HIV becomes AIDS
only when an infected individual contracts other infections. In
advanced countries such as the U.S, Canada, and their likes,
HIV infected individuals are able to live longer due to readily
available retroviral drugs. On the other hand, underdeveloped or
developing countries suffer high rates of mortality due to lack
of medication in rural areas and at times urban areas alike.
From this reality, it can be highlighted that economically
advanced countries are better equipped to diagnose, treat, and
perhaps prevent and deter infectious diseases compared to their
economically dependent counterparts.
Data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) shows that nearly 1.2 Americans are carriers of the HIV
virus. (CDC CITE2)) However, the amount of diagnoses in the
U.S is swiftly declining. In fact, from 2005-2014, there has
been a 19% decline in the number of new HIV diagnoses. (CDC
CITE2) UNAIDS data for South Africa shows that there are 7
millions individuals living with the virus.(UNAIDS cite) This
is a large number given the population size of South Africa. The
data also shows that, in 2015 alone HIV was responsible for the
deaths of 180,000 South Africans and 2.1 million orphans as a
result. (UNAIDS) HIV does not only affect the individual in
countries where it is prevalent, but it also takes a toll on
families, social fabrics, and the country’s development as a
whole. What are some primary factors causing the spread of
HIV/AIDS? Addressing this critical question is to where we
now turn.
In the case of South Africa, poverty seems to be the driving
force that exposes many to the virus. Due to lack of jobs, men
are forced to migrate long distances in search of jobs and away
from their wives, which increases the number of sexual partners

3. thus likelihood for infection. (Cook 2006, 4) As for the impact
of poverty on women, it often leads them to engage in
prostitution, making them highly vulnerable to contracting the
disease. (Cook, 2006, 4) Cultural patterns in many African
countries only contribute to the epidemic. Most women are not
empowered and legally protected enough to make independent
choices that are healthy. In this regard, it is important not to
divorce poverty and women empowerment. Why? As cook once
again underscores, older men in Africa are prone to contracting
the disease but young women are disproportionately affected in
Africa because “girls in impoverished contexts often view
relationships with older men as vital opportunities for achieving
financial, material, and social security”, placing them at
increased risk for the disease. (Cook, 2006, 6)
The driving factors in the U.S are however different. The
demographic most affected by the virus in the United States are
men in the LGBT community. To put this in perspective, a
staggering 53 percent of new infections are transmitted through
men who have sexual relations with other men as compared to
21 percent who are infected through heterosexual activities.
(CDC, 2009, 5) Furthermore, African Americans are also at high
risk for contracting this virus. Many factors amongst injecting
drugs through needles, lack of healthcare access, stigma
surrounding homosexuality, and sexual relations within small
communities are all factors that have placed African-Americans
as the top of all races with HIV/Aids in the United States.
There are many proven preventative methods that are
effective for slowing the rate of HIV/AIDS both in South Africa
and the United States. HIV testing is perhaps amongst the most
important in this regard. Knowing one’s status is essential to
prevent transmission of the disease. To slow the rate of
transmission, another defensive mechanism is education on
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). Whether it is South
Africa or the United States, education is a leading preemptive
step to combat risky behaviors as well as to reduce transmission
rates from one person to another. Furthermore, community

4. based intervention targeting at-risk communities (i.e.
impoverished or high drug activity) is an efficient and effective
way to distribute resources such as condoms and sterile syringes
as means to reduce the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
It is important to further discuss South Africa, as it is a country
in a continent riddled with high HIV/AIDS rates and mortality
thereof. As research findings continuously show, poverty has a
positive correlation relationship with the rate of HIV/AIDS.
Hence, it vital that poor nations are equipped with the expertise
to implement cost effective strategies to combat the HIV/AIDS
epidemic. Creese, Floyd, Alban, and Guinness conclude that
preventative measures are the most cost-effective as compared
to home-based care of those already infected. (Cite here 1638).
This is especially important for South Africa because it does not
have the economic strength to be able to provide targeted home
or community-based care that the United States is able to afford
its population.
In the health sector, The United States government has paid
close attention to HIV/AIDS. It has been focusing on
intensifying HIV prevention efforts, education, and increased
access to care for those infected. A National Strategy to combat
HIV/AIDS in the U.S released by the White House emphasizes
that educating people on HIV/AIDS and risky behaviors is a
primary preventative method. (White House Cite) The United
States also uses its scientific sophistication to fight the Spread
of HIV. For instance, through advanced pills, vaccines, and
overall biomedical intervention, it has virtually eliminated
transmission of the virus from mother to newborn babies. (4
Cite White House) Similarly, because of its economic power,
according to the White House report, the U.S “gets people with
HIV into care early after infection to protect their health and
reduce their potential of transmitting the virus to others.”
(White House Cite) Without American scientific and economic
advancement, this would not have been possible.
HIV AIDS is a highly stigmatized disease. Many people
are afraid of it and it is for that precise reason why, according

5. to CDC 1 in 8 Americans do not even know that they are
carriers of the virus. (Cite CDC) Fighting this stigma associated
with the virus is perhaps as important of a factor in reducing the
rate of the disease, as are aforementioned preventative
measures. For instance, those who do not know that they are
carries put their partners at risk. This has a domino effect,
which is an explanatory factor for the high prevalence of this
disease in countries where it is highly stigmatized. Though it is
difficult to propagate ideas against social norms, it is very
important to fight the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS around the
world. One element that binds the Global North and the Global
South is such stigma that is shared by both.
Though the degree differs, both the United States and South
Africa share similar factors, which are responsible for the
prevalence of HIV/Aids in their respective countries. Poverty,
women empowerment, drugs, and lack of education and stigma
are amongst the primary factors that are accountable for the
spread of HIV/AIDS. In addition, preventative measures are
also shared between these two countries. HIV testing, STD
education, community based outreach, and scientific
advancements are the leading ways in which health experts have
been able to significantly reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. With
increasing attention to this matter by multilateral organizations
and by national governments, it is possible that in the near
future HIV/AIDS would be at its lowest since its discovery in
the 1980s.

6. 1-http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs360/en/
2-http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/overview/ataglance.html
3-
http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica
4-
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/NHAS.p
df
5- http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/67156.pdf
http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/30923662/Co
st-
effectivenessofHIVAIDS.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ56TQJ
RTWSMTNPEA&Expires=1480807374&Signature=sRZ%2FCBl
CjjA1pj%2BRxw1ZtWzY8a8%3D&response-content-
disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DCost-
effectiveness_of_HIV_AIDS_intervent.pdf
HIV/AIDS. (2016, November). Retrieved December 09, 2016,
from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs360/en/
International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology
Vol. 2 No. 1; January 2012
76

7. An Experiential Learning Activity to Teach the Main Quality
Function Deployment
Matrix
Danilo Sirias, Ph.D.
Department of Management and Marketing
Saginaw Valley State University
7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710
United States of America
Abstract
The main quality function deployment (QFD) matrix is a tool
used to translate customer requirements into design
specifications and is taught in most production and operations
management courses. One of the challenges in
teaching this tool experientially is that the examples provided
by textbooks are not appropriate for the previous
knowledge students have at the point when they are taking a
production course. The purpose of this paper is to
show a process that can be used in class to teach QFD by

8. designing business courses to ensure students gain the
skills needed to become successful professionals.
Keywords: Quality Function Deployment, experiential learning,
course design, teaching activity.
1. INTRODUCTION
The main quality function deployment (QFD) matrix is a tool
used to translate customer requirements into design
specifications. QFD is covered in most production and
operations management courses as part of product design
and quality management chapters (e.g., Stevenson, 2009; Boyer
& Verma, 2010; Collier & Evans, 2012). One
potential challenge to teach QFD is finding examples that
students, especially at the undergraduate level, are
familiar with. Some of the examples used in textbooks may not
satisfy that requirement. For instance, Stevenson
(2009) has an example of a designing a printer, and Boyer &
Verma (2010) provide an example related to the
design of an electrical transformer. While students are familiar
with these products, they are probably not aware
of the technical specifications required to make the product
work, which inhibits faculty from using an
experiential learning activity to teach QFD.

9. Students taking a production and operations management class
are most likely business majors who will graduate
within two years. As a result, they have knowledge of both the
teaching-learning interaction in a business course
and the requirements needed to be successful in the
marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to show a process
that can be used in class to teach QFD by designing business
courses to ensure students gain the skills needed to
become successful professionals.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Several papers have described how QFD can be used to design
academic programs. Ermer (1995) reports the use
of QFD to modify University of Wisconsin—Madison’s
Mechanical Engineering undergraduate curriculum. A
similar paper by Aytac and Deniz (2001) demonstrates how the
curriculum of the Tyre Technology Department at
the Kocaeli University Kosekoy Vocational School of Higher
Education in Turkey was modified using QFD.
Sillero Perez and Gonzalez Aleu (2009) describe the
applications of several industrial engineering tools, including
QFD, to create an undergraduate Industrial Engineering
academic program at the University of Monterrey,
Mexico.

10. Designing a course with QFD has also been a subject of
research in the literature. Duffuaa et al. (2003) describe a
process where external customers from industry, faculty and
students determine technical requirements for a basic
statistics course using QFD as a tool. Similarly, Denton et al.
(2005) apply QFD to design a Management
Information System course. Peters et al. (2005) report their use
of QFD to design a Production and Operations
Management course. The main focus of these articles is the
improvement of the delivery of the content of the
courses. This teaching brief is concerned more with the
pedagogical and evaluation tools that should be
incorporated in the classroom to ensure that students acquire the
necessary skills to become successful
professionals.
© Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA
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77
3. PROCEDURE
The procedure for this class activity follows the typical steps to
construct the main matrix of QFD: 1) determine
customer’s needs, 2) rank needs, 3) provide a list of teacher

11. design tools (this takes the place of determining
technical specifications), 4) build the relationship matrix and 5)
find the importance weightings.
3.1 Determine customer’s needs
The first step is to ask students to propose skills that they
consider to be important to become successful business
professionals. I open this discussion to the whole class to
generate a list as comprehensive as possible. Students
suggest skills such as written communication, oral
communication, problem solving, the ability to work in teams,
etc. Students are very knowledgeable about which skills are
important in the workplace because of their
experiences when looking for employment or reading job
postings. In general, students will recommend between
10 to 15 skills in this step. An example of a list created in one
of the classes is provided in Table 1; the same list
is used by all students in the rest of the activity.
The rest of the teaching activity is done in groups of four to six
students. The objective is to have several
independent team results at the end of the activity so that
comparisons can be made. If several teams working
independently come up with the same results, then the accuracy
and robustness of QFD can be demonstrated.
Also, small groups provide students with opportunities to

12. participate and discuss their findings, which promote
team and communication skills. The effectiveness of using
teams in class setting has been discussed in the
literature (see, e.g., Umble, et al. 2008)
3.2 Rank needs
The next step in the activity is to rank skills in order of
importance. Students are asked to individually assign to
each skill found in the previous step a value between 1 and 5,
where 1 is unimportant and 5 is very important.
Each group uses the individual scores of each of their team
members to calculate the mean for each skill. These
calculated means are used as a representation of the relative
importance of each skill, which are the “weights” that
the QFD process assigns to the customer’s need column (see
table 3).
Table 1. An example of important skills suggested by students
Verbal Communication
Writing
Listening
Computer

13. Knowledge in field
Critical Thinking
Ethical Behavior
Organizational Skills
Leadership
Interpersonal Skills
Time Management skills
Team Work
Creativity
Practical Knowledge
3.3 Provide a list of teacher design tools
Step 3 is to provide a list of tools available to instructors to
design a class. Table 2 shows an example of the types
of tools an instructor can provide to the teams. It is desirable to
have at least three sets of tools, including
activities that can be done in class, outside class and methods to
evaluate students. Having a variety of choices
allows students to gain an experience that is closer to what they
will find when applying the QFD process in a real
situation. The set of teacher tools are the design specification

14. portion of the QFD process.
International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology
Vol. 2 No. 1; January 2012
78
Table 2. Teacher class design
1) In-class activities
a. Lecturing
b. Individual work
c. Small group discussion
d. Whole class discussion
2) Outside class activities
a. Textbook reading
b. Computer intensive work
c. Library research
d. Field work
3) Evaluation
a. Multiple choice questions
b. Essay questions
c. Presentations
d. Papers
e. Group projects

15. 3.4 Build relationship matrix
The skills with their respective weights and the class design
form the skeleton for the relationship matrix (see
table 3). Students are asked to work in teams to complete the
matrix by finding the relationship between each
skill and the teacher design tools. To do this, teams are
instructed to discuss and assign a value of 9 if a strong
relationship exists between the skill and the teacher design tool,
3 for medium, 1 for low and 0 for none. At the
end of this step, each skill and teacher design tool should have a
number representing the degree of relationship
between the two. This step is easier to do in teams if students
work with flip chart paper and markers to complete
the work.
3.5 Find importance weightings
Finally, for each teacher design tool, students are asked to
calculate a weighted average by adding the products of
each skill weight and its relationship value with that design tool
and then dividing that by the su m of all the
weights. This is the generic formula to calculate a weighted
average learned in any statistics class. These
averages are a representation of the impact of the teacher design
tool on the set of important skills. The higher the

16. weighted average, the larger the importance of the tool in
enhancing the set of skills. Once these calculations are
completed, students can decide the best elements in the
teacher’s design toolbox to prepare students to acquire
critical skills for their success as business professionals. See
table 3 for a complete example, illustrating how the
relationship matrix looks and how the teacher design tools are
rated in order of importance.
© Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA
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79
Table 3. Relationship matrix

17. In-class activities
STUDENT NEEDS Weight
Lecturing
Individual
Work
Small Group
Discussion
Whole Class
Discussion
Verbal Communication 4.30 1 0 9 9
Writing 4.00 0 9 1 1
Listening 4.00 9 0 9 9
Computer 3.70 0 0 0 0
Knowledge in field 4.30 3 3 3 3
Critical Thinking 3.70 3 9 9 9
Ethical Behavior 4.30 1 1 3 3

18. Organizational Skills 4.30 0 3 3 0
Leadership 3.00 0 0 9 3
Interpersonal Skills 4.30 1 0 9 3
Time Management skills 4.00 0 0 3 0
Team Work 3.70 0 0 9 3
Creativity 3.00 0 3 3 3
Practical Knowledge 4.70 1 3 3 3
Weighted Totals
77.6 122.5 284.8 193.9
Importance rating (within category)
4 3 1 2
Importance rating (overall)
11 9 4 7
Table 3. Relationship matrix (cont.)
Outside-class activities

19. STUDENT NEEDS Weight
Textbook
Reading
Computer
Intensive
Work
Library
Research Field Work
Verbal Communication 4.30 0 0 0 3
Writing 4.00 1 9 0 1
Listening 4.00 0 0 0 9
Computer 3.70 0 9 3 3
Knowledge in field 4.30 9 9 3 9
Critical Thinking 3.70 3 9 3 3
Ethical Behavior 4.30 1 3 1 9
Organizational Skills 4.30 0 9 3 9
Leadership 3.00 0 0 0 3

20. Interpersonal Skills 4.30 0 0 0 9
Time Management skills 4.00 3 3 3 0
Team Work 3.70 0 0 0 9
Creativity 3.00 0 3 1 1
Practical Knowledge 4.70 0 3 0 3
Weighted Totals
70.1 228 67.3 289.3
Importance rating (within category)
3 2 4 1
Importance rating (overall)
12 5 13 3
International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology
Vol. 2 No. 1; January 2012
80
Table 3. Relationship matrix (cont.)

21. Evaluation
STUDENT NEEDS Weight
Multiple Choice
Questions
Essay
Questions Presentations Papers
Group
Project
Verbal Communication 4.30 0 0 9 0 9
Writing 4.00 0 9 3 9 9
Listening 4.00 0 0 0 0 9
Computer 3.70 0 0 3 3 3
Knowledge in field 4.30 9 9 9 9 9
Critical Thinking 3.70 9 9 1 9 9
Ethical Behavior 4.30 3 3 3 3 3

22. Organizational Skills 4.30 0 9 9 9 9
Leadership 3.00 0 0 9 0 9
Interpersonal Skills 4.30 0 0 9 0 9
Time Management skills 4.00 1 3 9 3 9
Team Work 3.70 0 0 3 0 9
Creativity 3.00 0 3 9 3 3
Practical Knowledge 4.70 1 0 3 1 1
Weighted Totals
93.6 180.6 309.7 196.4 394.1
Importance rating (within
category)
5 4 2 3
1
Importance rating (overall)
10 8 2 6 1

23. 4. CLASS DISCUSSION
After all calculations have been made, the first discussion is to
compare which teacher design element has the
highest weighted average in each group. Over the last 5 years in
which the author of this brief has been doing this
activity in class, the design element occupying either the first
and second place has been in the majority of cases,
regardless of the initial set of skills identified at the beginning
of the process, group projects and field work. This
consistent result is a testimony to the effectiveness not only of
the teaching activity but also of the robustness of
the tool. From the student’s perspective, experientially learning
a tool that delivers consistent results is an
instructive experience.
Next, the instructor can compare what design tools have a high
weighted average within each teaching design
category (in-class activity, outside class activity and
evaluation). Again, the results have been very consistent.
For in-class activity, small group discussion has the highest
average in the majority of cases; for outside class
activities, the highest is usually field work; and for evaluation,
it is group project. The instructor can once more
re-emphasize the usefulness of the process in determining
design specifications.

24. To finish the activity, the instructor can ask students to draw
conclusions from the activity. The expectation is
that students conclude that in order to design an effective class
which satisfies customer’s (student’s) needs, the
instructor needs to emphasize the tools with the higher weighted
average in each of the category. If needed, the
instructor can also discuss and complete the whole House of
Quality.
© Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA
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81
REFERENCES
Aytac, A., & Deniz, V. (2005). Quality Function Deployment in
education: A curriculum review. Quality and

25. Quantity, 39(4), 507-514.
Boyer, K., & Verma, R. (2010). Operations & supply chain
management. Mason, OH: South Western, Cengage
Learning.
Collier, D. A., & Evans, J.R. (2012). OM. Mason, OH: South
Western, Cengage Learning.
Denton, J. W., Kleist, V. F., & Surendra, N. (2005). Curriculum
and course design: A new approach using Quality
Function Deployment. Journal of Education for Business, 81(2),
111-117.
Duffuaa, S. O., Al-Turki, U. M., & Hawsawi, F. M. (2003).
Quality Function Deployment for designing a basic
statistics course. The International Journal of Quality &
Reliability Management, 20(6/7), 740-750.
Ermer, D. S. (1995). Using QFD becomes an educational
experience for students and faculty. Quality Progress,
28(5), 131-136.
Peters, M. H., Kethley, R. B., & Bullington, K. (2005). Course
design using the House of Quality. Journal of
Education for Business, 80(6), 309-315.
Sillero Pérez, J., & González Aleu, F. (2009). Industrial
engineering approach to develop an industrial
engineering curriculum. Proceedings of the Industrial

26. Engineering Research Conference, 271-277
Stevenson, W. J. (2009). Operations management. New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill.
Umble, E. J., Umble, M., & Artz, K. (2008). Enhancing
undergraduates’ capabilities through team-based
competitions: The Edward Jones challenge. Decision Sciences
Journal of Innovative Education, 6(1), 1-
27.
Constraints Management
1) You have been tasked to create a marketing offer for one
market segment of the MBA program. First define your market
segment (e... International students, middle managers,
undergraduate students, executives, etc.). Then, use the QFD
process to create an offer for that market segment. Include an
explanation of the table you create.
2) Write a 2-page essay on how to use Constraints Management
to manage a sales force. (Double space, Times New Roman 12,
All margins 1”)
3) You have been asked to justify the reason for the existence of
the department where you currently work (or have worked in the
past). To do this you need to do an S&T which consists of one
block at level 1 and two blocks below that level. For the first
S&T block, provide Necessary Assumptions, Strategy, Parallel
Assumptions, Tactic, and Sufficiency Assumptions. For the
other two blocks, do not complete the Sufficiency Assumptions.

27. Please upload two files, one in PowerPoint for the S&T and a
Word file for the rest.
Strategic planning
1
The purpose
The purpose of strategic planning to set the direction of an
organization now and in the future
The traditional approach
Strategy vs. tactic
Strategy
Tactics
In Constraint Management
Strategy is the answer to the question “what for”
Tactic is the answer to the question “how to”

28. S&T summary
Strategy
Tactics
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy

29. Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Necessary
Assumption
Parallel assumptions
Sufficiency assumptions
1.X
What for

30. How
Strategic direction title
Strategy
Tactic
Assumptions for the tactic
Assumptions for the “strategy”
What elements are needed for the tactic above
S & T block
Health S and T
Issues to write an S&T
Difficulty facilitating the construction of a S&T
Difficulty to come up with assumptions
No connection with mainstream vocabulary in Strategic
Planning (mission, vision, values, etc.)
It could be integrated with other strategic planning tools
(SWOT analysis, strategic maps and others)
All levels are called strategy and tactics
S&T proposed
MISSION
VISION
VALUES

31. Strategic Direction
Tactical Direction
Strategic Objective
Strategic Project
Strategic Objective
Strategic Project
Strategic Direction
Tactical Direction
Strategic Objective
Strategic Project
Specific Objective
Guiding Tactic
Specific Objective
Guiding Tactic

32. Specific Objective
Guiding Tactic
Specific Objective
Guiding Tactic
Summary of the process
Level 1: Mission and Vision and values (Review them if
needed)
SWOT analysis
Level 2: Strategic and tactical directions
Level 3: Strategic objectives and strategic projects
Level 4: Specific objectives and guiding tactics
Strategic Map
The strategic plan document
10
Mission

33. Vision
1
Values
S & T level 1
SWOT analysis
Strengths WeaknessesOpportunitiesThreats
12
Necessary
Assumption
Strategic
Direction
Parallel assumptions
Sufficiency assumptions
1.X
What for
How
Strategic direction title

34. What objectives measure progress as the company capitalizes
on the chosen opportunity?
How is the company going to compete in the marketplace to
move
towards the chosen strategic direction?
Which relevant strengths and weaknesses does the company
have? What problems our clients have? What relevant threats
exist in the environment?
Which major opportunities should the company capitalize on?
Build, capitalize and sustain
Tactical
direction
S & T level 2
Necessary
Assumption
Strategic
Direction
Parallel assumptions
Sufficiency assumptions
1.1
What for
How
Low interest rates and optimal response times

35. Increase loan allocations in the productive sectors that present
demand
Obtain a competitive advantage in the marketplace based on a
combination of low interest rates and optimal response times.
Our interest rates are the lowest in the market (Strength)
For the productive sector, a slow response time to their credit
application can result in project failure (Customer’s problem)
There is a high unmet demand for credit in the productive sector
Tactical
direction
S & T level 2 (Partial example from Development Bank)
Build, capitalize and sustain
Necessary
Assumptions
Strategic
Objectives
Parallel assumptions
Sufficiency assumptions
1.X.X
What for
How
Strategic project title
What objectives measure the conditions needed to overcome the

36. weaknesses or threats on the path towards the strategic direction
Which strategic projects are needed for the company to reach
the conditions reflected in the strategic objective?
What strengths do the company have? What weaknesses? What
relevant threats exist in the environment?
How do specific weaknesses or threats prevent the company
from taking advantage of the chosen opportunity or make it
vulnerable?
Project milestones
Strategic
Projects
S & T level 3
Necessary
Assumptions
Strategic
Objectives
Parallel assumptions
Sufficiency assumptions
1.X.X
What for
How
Strategic project title
Increase our loan allocations thorough a market diversification

37. approach that reduces fluctuations
Create and execute a marketing and sales program that allows
us to penetrate diverse markets with our current products
We have unattended market segments
We have several credit products that are not adequately
promoted
Our loan allocations are highly fluctuating due to our current
concentration in a few market segments
Project Milestones
Strategic
Projects
S & T level 3 (Partial example from Development Bank)
Level 4 discussions
What are the specific milestones of the projects -> Specific
objectives
What methodology will be used to achieve the specific
objectives? -> Guiding tactics
Why is that methodology the best way to achieve the
objectives? -> Parallel assumptions
17
Level 4 discussions (Partial example from Development Bank)
Project
Create and execute a marketing and sales program that allows
us to penetrate diverse markets with our current products
Specific objectives
Create a business generation unit
Design an effective sales process management

38. Design an effective marketing strategy by market segment
Guiding tactic
Develop a sales process that optimizes salespeople time
18
Strategic Map
Strategic maps provide a visual representation of how the
strategic projects and key performance indicators fit under each
of the following categories:
Learning and growth
Internal/process perspective
Customer perspective
Financial perspective
Social impact perspective
Strategic map (Partial example from Development Bank)
Customers perspective
Create and execute a marketing
and sales program that allows
us to penetrate diverse
markets with our current products
……….
Growth in the number and
amount of loan allocations
per market segment

39. Indicator
Action plan
Strategic Objectives
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Strategic Projects
Specific objectives (Milestones)
Annual Goals
Responsible unit
Action plan (Partial example from Development
Bank)GoalsStrategic ProjectSpecific
ObjectiveIndicatorsResponsible unitUnit of
measurement201320142015Create and execute a marketing and
sales program that allows
us to penetrate diverse
markets with our current products Create a business generation
unit Design an effective sales process managementDesign an
effective marketing strategy by market segment
Strategic Objective: Increase our loan allocations thorough a
market diversification approach that reduces fluctuations
Key Performance Indicator: Growth in the number and amount
of loan allocations per market segment
Sections of the final document
Introduction, background
Mission, Vision, Values
SWOT Analysis
Financial Strategy

40. Strategic and tactical directions
Strategic guidelines (Strategic objectives, strategic projects,
specific objectives and guiding tactics)
Strategic Map
Action Plan
Questions?
Danilo Sirias
[email protected]
The Quality Function Deployment (QFD)matrix
The Main QFD MatrixCustomer requirementsImportance to
customersPotential elements of the offer
Relationship matrix
Importance weighting
Steps to build a QFD
Determine customer needs
Rank needs

41. Provide a list of potential elements for the offer
Do relationship matrix
Find importance weightings
Determine customer needs
Identify needs
Talk to customers (surveys, etc.)
Read literature
Talk to customer service
Others?
Make sure you include customer needs and not elements of the
offer
For example: A need is variety, an element of the offer is
multiple distributors
Steps for QFD exercise
Determine customer needs
Rank needs
Provide a list of potential elements for the offer
Do relationship matrix
Find importance weightings
Rank needs
Do a survey using a scale 1 unimportant and 5 very important
Calculate means
The mean give a sense of the importance

42. Steps for QFD exercise
Determine customer needs
Rank needs
Provide a list of potential elements for the offer
Do relationship matrix
Find importance weightings
Potential elements for the offer
What are the elements of your offer that you can manipulate to
satisfy customers needs?
Steps for QFD exercise
Determine customer needs
Rank needs
Provide a list of potential elements for the offer
Do relationship matrix
Find importance weightings
Do relationship matrix
Provide relationship values Strong 9, Medium 3, low 1 and none

43. 0.
For each skill, find relationships with the teachers design
Steps for QFD exercise
Determine customer needs
Rank needs
Provide a list of potential elements for the offer
Do relationship matrix
Find importance weightings
Find importance weightings
Calculate weighing average
Design offer
Take the most valuable elements for the offer (as indicated by
the weighting average) and make them part of your program
Make sure the chosen elements address all important needs for
the customer.
TOC Club
Strategy and Tactics Tree

44. Necessary assumptions
Strategy
Parallel assumptions
Tactic
Sufficient assumptions
1
Strategy
What for?
Tactic
How?
TOC Club at the Great Lakes Bay Region
Help improve the performance of small and medium size
businesses in the GLBR region
Create a regional club that promotes TOC knowledge through
periodic meetings, workshops, and other relevant activities
TOC is a holistic business methodology that can have a rapid
positive impact in small and medium size businesses
Clubs are a non-threatening way to share and learn information
There are enough people in our region interested in TOC
There is no other organization in the region promoting TOC as a
business methodology (like ASQ does for Lean and Six Sigma)
Small and medium size businesses are an important part of the

45. Great Lakes Bay Region (GLBR) economy
These type of businesses have room for improvement
Necessary assumptions
Strategy
Parallel assumptions
Tactic
Sufficient assumptions
1.1
Strategy
What for?
Tactic
How?

46. Necessary assumptions
Strategy
Parallel assumptions
Tactic
Sufficient assumptions
1.2
Strategy
What for?
Tactic
How?