The Kano Model is a customer satisfaction model developed by Noriaki Kano. It classifies product attributes into three categories: dissatisfiers, satisfiers, and delighters. Dissatisfiers are basic requirements where not meeting them leads to customer dissatisfaction. Satisfiers are expected requirements where meeting them leads to satisfaction but not meeting them does not necessarily lead to dissatisfaction. Delighters are unexpected requirements that excite customers. The Kano Model methodology involves analyzing customer feedback to identify critical requirements and plot them on the Kano Model diagram to determine the appropriate strategy for each category. This helps companies focus on delivering the right customer experience.

1. Kano Model
Erica Lynn Farmer
CMQ/OE, CSSBB, MBB

2. Objectives
 Origins
 Purpose
 Process Model
 Key Elements
 Methodology
 Application
 Examples

3. Origins of the Kano Model
 Noriaki Kano
Professor at Tokyo Rika University
International Consultant
Received individual Demming Prize in 1997

4. Origins of the Kano Model
 Noriaki Kano
 Developed foundation for an approach on “Attractive Quality
Creation” commonly referred to as the “Kano Model”
 Challenged traditional Customer Satisfaction Models that More
is better, i.e. the more you perform on each service attribute the
more satisfied the customers will be.
 Proposed new Customer Satisfaction model (Kano Model)
 Performance on product and service attributes is not equal in the
eyes of the customers
 Performance on certain categories attributes produces higher levels
of satisfaction than others.

5. When to use the Kano Model
 Project Selection
Lean Six Sigma
Design for Six Sigma
 New Product Development
 New Service Development
 Determine Market Strategies

6. Key Elements
 Identify the Voice of the Customer
 Translate Voice of the Customer into
Critical to Quality Characteristics (CTQs)
 Rank the CTQs into three categories:
Dissatisfier - Must be’s – Cost of Entry
Satisfier – More is better – Competitive
Delighter – Latent Need – Differentiator
 Evaluate Current Performance

7. Kano Model
Delighters
Excited Quality
Dissatisfier
Must-be
Expected Quality
“Didn’t know I
wanted it but I
like it.”
“Cannot increase
my satisfaction, but
can decrease .”
Dissatisfaction
Satisfaction
Service
Performance
Service
Performance
Satisfier
One Dimensional
Desired Quality

8. Kano Model Process
Analyze &
Brainstorm
Research
Plot &
Diagram
Strategize
•Research available
data sources
•Determine data
collection strategy
•Design data
collection
instruments
•Collect and
summarize data
•Analyze results
from data collection
•Brainstorm list of
features and
functionality
•Develop Functional
and Dysfunctional
Questionnaire
•Distribute
Questionnaire
•Develop Customer
Requirement Matrix
•Record
Questionnaire
results in Matrix
and Summarize
•Plot results on
Kano Model
•Determine Project
selection
•Product Development
•Service Development
•Identify Marketing
Strategy

9. Research
 Must Be’s - Focus Groups, Lawsuits and
Regulations, Buzz on Internet
 Satisfiers - Competitive Analysis, Interviews,
Surveys, Search Logs, Usablity Testing,
Customer Forums
 Delighters - Field Research,
Marketing/Branding Vision, Industrial Design,
Packaging, Call Center Data, Site Logs

10. Analyze & Brainstorm
 Analyze data from available sources
 Brainstorm list of features and functionality
 Determine type of requirements:
 Output Requirements
 Service Requirements
 Kano Model Requirements Survey
 User Survey
 “Functional form” vs. “Dysfunctional Form”
 “How would you feel if the product had feature X?”
 “How would you feel if the product didn’t have feature X?”
 Kano Questionnaire Answers:
 I like it.
 I expect it.
 I’m neutral.
 I can tolerate it.
 I dislike it.

11. Example: Requirements Survey

12. Example: Requirements Questionnaire

13. Functional vs. Dysfunctional Comparison

14. Evaluation Customer Requirements
A
23
9
2
1
11
5
E
23
10
13
4
I
23
11
1
4
1
6
3
O
23
1
11
6
5
2
O
23
14
6
3
1
Grade
Total
I
Q
R
O
E
A
C.R.
Customer Requirement is:
A: Attractive R: Reverse Q: Questionable Result
E: Expected O: One Dimensional I: Indifferent

15. Plot & Diagram
Delighters
Attractive
Excited Quality
Dissatisfier
Must Be
Expected Quality
Satisfier
One Dimensional
Desired Quality
Dissatisfaction
Satisfaction
Service
Performance
Service
Performance

16. Kano Model & QFD

17. Strategize
 Project Selection
Lean Six Sigma
Design for Six Sigma
 Organizational Strategy
Dissatisfier – Must be’s – Cost of Entry
Satisfier – More is better – Competitive
Delighter – Latent Need – Differentiator

18. Application
 Break into Teams
 Select Team Leader
 Select Scribe
 Select Presenter
 Scenario – You work for a Hotel chain and your company is trying to
identify Voice of the Customer information to improve Hotel
performance.
 Instructions:
 Brainstorm important characteristics you expect when staying at a Hotel
 Identify whether they are a Must be, Expected or a Delighter from a
Business Client perspective and from a vacationer perspective
 Add in what the current performance is for the Hotel

19. Example Results

20. Debrief
 Analysis
 Strategy Recommendations

21. Summary of Kano Model
 Analyze and rank the voice of the
customer data
 Develop into Categories
Dissatisfier – Must be’s – Cost of Entry
Satisfier – More is better – Competitive
Delighter – Latent Need – Differentiator
 Identify and implement strategy

22. Questions
?

23. References
 Walder, D., (1993). Kano’s model for understanding customer-
defined quality. Center For Quality of Management Journal, 39, 65 –
69.
 Jacobs, R., (1997). Evaluating customer satisfaction with media
products and services. European Media Management Journal, 32,
11 – 18.
 Ungvari, S., (1999). Adding the third dimension to auqlity. Triz
Journal, 40, 31 – 35.
 Sauerwein, E., Bailom, F., Matzler, K., & Hinterhuber, H. (1996).
The kano model: How to delight your customers. International
Working Seminar on Production Economics, 19, 313 - 327
 Zultner, R.E. & Mazur, G. H. ( 2006). The Kano Model: Recent
Developments. The eighteenth symposium on Quality Function
Deployment.