CHAPTER-2

UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER NEEDS

Introduction
There are many techniques used to generate engineering specifications. One of the best and
currently most popular techniques is called Quality Function Deployment (QFD). For most
design problems, there is more than one customer. Once the customers have been identified, the
next goal of the QFD method is to determine what is to be designed. That is, what is it that the
customers want? The key to this QFD step is collecting information from customers. There are
essentially three methods commonly used: observations, surveys, and focus groups.
Bangladesh is a massively power-deficient country with peak power shortages of around 25%.
More than 60% of its people do not have access to the power grid. The country only produces
3500-4200 MW of electricity against a daily demand for 4000-5200 MW on average, according
to official estimates.
Solar energy is an ideal solution as it can provide grid less power and is totally clean in terms of
pollution and health hazards. Since it saves money on constructing electricity transmission lines,
it is economical as well. Little wonder that it is becoming popular in Bangladesh. The number of
households using solar panels has now crossed the one million mark, the fastest expansion of
solar use anywhere in the world. In 2002, just 7,000 households in Bangladesh were using solar
panels, but now more than one million households, or five million people, are benefitting from
solar energy.
As a primary research, we identified our main markets are:
Residential sectors
Commercial sectors
Industrial sectors
Remote applications (such as schools, community halls, clinics etc.)
We carried out a survey for developing customer needs for our auto adjustable solar panel in
several of the above sectors in a very short time due to time constraint.

Areas and Locations of Survey

1. Households at Mirpur -1, Mirpur - 6, Dhanmondi, Old Dhaka, Jatrabari, and Demra.
2. Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Agargaon, Dhaka-1207.
3. Village: Madhabpur, Thana: Brahman Para, District: Comilla.
The survey was conducted among 37 people. Survey results are shown here with the help of
charts on percentage basis.

2.3 Survey Results

1. How often do you come across information about solar panels?
a. Very often
b. Often
c. Sometimes
d. Rarely
e. Never

4% 1%
25%

Very often
Often

70%

Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Figure 2.1: Pie chart for question no. 1

2. To your knowledge, solar panels do the following:

a. Convert sunlight directly to electricity
b. Convert sunlight to heat, then to electricity
c. None of the above
d. Have no idea

5% 5%

Convert sunlight directly

to electricity

Convert sunlight to
heat, then to electricity

30%
60%

None of the above

Have no idea

Figure 2.2: Pie chart for question no. 2

3. How frequently do you think solar panels would require maintenance from
professionals?
a. Very often
b. Often
c. Sometimes
d. Rarely
e. Never

3%
12%

30%

15%

Very often
Often
Sometimes

40%

Rarely

Never
Figure 2.3: Pie chart for question no. 3

4. If you have not yet purchased a solar panel, why?

a. I don't know enough about it
b. Initial cost is too expensive
c. It wont save enough electricity to be worth the expense
d. I wont live here long enough to make it worth the expense
e. It will make my house look unattractive
f. It will take too much effort to maintain
g. It doesn't benefit environment
h. I dont know anyone who has one

I don't know enough about it

Initial cost is too expensive

It wont save enough electricity to

be worth the expense
7%

6%

15%

I wont live here long enough to

make it worth the expense

10%

It will make my house look

unattractive
5%

2%

30%

25%

It will take too much effort to

maintain
It doesn't benefit environment

I dont know anyone who has one

Figure 2.4: Pie chart for question no. 4

5. How much would the following factors affect your decision to purchase solar panels/
to change the current solar panel you are using sometime in the future?

Not affect
(%)
The cost of

Very low

Low

affect (%) affect (%)

Affect

High

Greatly

(%)

affect (%)

affect (%)

10

10

10

20

15

35

15

30

50

10

30

60

20

10

10

10

30

20

solar panels
Maintenance
requirements
Environmental
benefits
Solar panel
aesthetics on
my rooftop

6. How often do you typically use the solar panel?

a. Daily
b. Weekly
c. Less than monthly
d. Do not use
e. Not sure

3% 2%

Daily

5%

Weekly

15%

Less than monthly

75%

Do not use
Not sure

Figure 2.5: Pie chart for question no. 6

7. Where do you primarily use the solar panel?

a. Home
b. Office
c. Other locations

15%

5%

Home
Office

80%

Figure 2.6: Pie chart for question no. 7

Other locations

8. Based on you experience, how does self adjusting solar panel compare with other
brand products?
a. Better
b. About the same
c. Not sure

5%

5%

Better
About the same
90%

Figure 2.7: Pie chart for question no. 8

Not sure

9. Which of the following attributes enticed you to try our self adjusting solar panel?
a. Looks good
b. Easy to use/convenient
c. Price value
d. Solves problems
e. Readily available
f. Best quality
g. Good selection
h. Just what I need
i.

Self adjustment for maximizing energy consumption from the sun

j.

Not sure

Looks good
Easy to use/convenient
2%
8%

Price value

5%

35%
25%

Solves problems
Readily available

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

Best quality
Good selection
Just what I need
Self adjustment for maximizing
energy consumption from the sun
Not sure

Figure 2.8: Pie chart for question no. 9

10. Over all, how satisfied are you with your current solar panel product?
a. Very satisfied
b. Somewhat satisfied
c. Neutral
d. Somewhat dissatisfied
e. Very dissatisfied

20%

25%

10%
15%

Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied

30%

Neutral
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied

Figure 2.9: Pie chart for question no. 10

2.4 Customers Requirements

After conducting the survey the following customers requirements had been developed.
Auto Tracking
Reasonable Price
Maximum Solar Energy Absorption
Low Maintenance
Ease of use
Reliability

Conclusion
Surveys are generally used to gather specific information or ask peoples opinions about a welldefined subject. Surveys use questionnaires that are carefully crafted and applied either through
the mail, over the telephone, or in face-to-face interviews. Surveys are well suited for collecting
requirements on products to be redesigned or on new. Since our project is an improvement of
existing model, questionnaires was quite a good choice for conducting the survey. After being
finished with surveying, we now can move to the next step for developing QFD.