The best vision is insight.
Malcolm S. Forbes.
About Karen Roberts/QFD Consultant
Karen Roberts has worked in the field of product development, quality and organizational improvement for the past twenty-five years. Her practice concentrates on facilitating, training and consulting to organizations on ways to increase their effectiveness.
Most often this involves quality concepts, communications, leadership, and team development.
A comprehensive corporate life has given her the knowledge and skills necessary to help organizations create positive improvement. She has sought out the most effective methodologies available for creating excellence.
Her broad scope and varied experience has made her a sought after advisor to organizations across the country. Her more recent experience includes facilitating product development teams for NASA, Windsor Industries, Emerson Electric and Johnson & Johnson Medical. She has also facilitated strategic planning sessions for the Department of the Interior and provided leadership training, strategic planning and Performance Team Building to executive level management groups like Amgen, Exabyte, Cordis de Mexico (a division of Johnson & Johnson) and Roche Chemicals.
She is past adjunct faculty member at Regis University teaching courses for the American Society for Training and Development on "Measuring the Effectiveness of Training & Performance Management." She has a master's degree in Organizational Communications from the University of New Mexico and a master's degree in Business Administration.
Some of Ms. Roberts' engagements have been:
- Quality Function Deployment Institute Annual Symposium
- National Conference for the American Society for Quality
- National Conference for the American Society for Training and Development
- American Society for Quality Auditor's Conference
- American Society for Quality: Rocky Mountain Quality Conference
- The United States Office of Personnel Management's Annual - Conference on Total Quality Management
- Quality Congress for the American Society for Quality
Karen is a long time member of the American Society for Training and Development and the American Society for Quality.
Dr. Yogi Akao
Creator of Hoshin Kanri
Karen Roberts has studied advanced techniques with the co-creator of Quality Function Deployment, Dr. Yogi Akao.
The QFD Process
Robust methodology for implementing change...
We follow one of the most robust methodologies for product development: Quality Function Deployment. Karen Roberts has been facilitating and teaching Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodologies for the past 25 years. We provide exceptional product development team facilitation using QFD as a guiding methodology. We also teach workshops on QFD that are comprehensive, effective and concise.
Just-in-time training methods can be employed throughout a team's QFD project.
She has a comprehensive background with advanced QFD techniques, including technology deployment, cost deployment, and reliability deployment. Based on the needs of the customer, customized QFD models can be created.
The scope of what IMPACTure can provide to a QFD project team ranges from conducting formal training in QFD to determining appropriate market segments and competition,
designing and moderating customer focus groups,
analyzing market/industry data,
facilitating product development projects using QFD methodology.
Organization Development
Change is the only constant in organizational growth...
Organizational development (OD) is an application of behavioral science to organizational change. We work with organizations to ensure that QFD (Quality Function Deployment) is introduced into your organization in a way that matches your corporate culture. OD encompasses a wide array of theories, processes, and activities, all of which are oriented toward the goal of creating positive organizational change.
Working with executive management teams, we facilitate the groups understanding of the competition, assess the current environment, help design and facilitate executive management teams, build product development teams that will be leading the QFD (Quality Function Deployment) efforts, design customized focus groups with team members and customers and help to identify road blocks that could undermine change efforts.
All of our training can be customized to fit your organization's individual culture. We provide cradle to grave project management for your product development efforts.
Voice of the Customer
Designing products & services that excite...
The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is about understanding the customers' needs. Vital information from the customer can be used for many different improvement activities. The primary objective for collecting the VOC is to provide improved products and/or services. The basic premise for using the customer's voice, is to define expectations and needs. Needs that they may not even know they have and expectations that exceed their wildest dreams.
Both time and money can be saved by carefully listening to what a customer says. Eighty percent of new products fail in the market place because no one paid attention to this most critical aspect - - the customer. For that reason, collecting the VOC is the first thing an organization should embark on when entering the market with a new product or service, or in the redesign of an existing product or service.
Because collecting the VOC is the most critical aspect of product/service development, we are meticulous in how we gather this data.
Karen Roberts has worked in the field of product development, quality and organizational improvement for the past twenty-five years. Her practice concentrates on facilitating, training and consulting to organizations on ways to increase their effectiveness.
Most often this involves quality concepts, communications, leadership, and team development. A comprehensive corporate life has given her the knowledge and skills necessary to help organizations create positive improvement. She has sought out the most effective methodologies available for creating excellence.
Her broad scope and varied experience has made her a sought after advisor to organizations across the country. Her more recent experience includes facilitating product development teams for NASA, Windsor Industries, Emerson Electric and Johnson & Johnson Medical. She has also facilitated strategic planning sessions for the Department of the Interior and provided leadership training, strategic planning and Performance Team Building to executive level management groups like Amgen, Exabyte, Cordis de Mexico (a division of Johnson & Johnson) and Roche Chemicals.
She is past adjunct faculty member at Regis University teaching courses for the American Society for Training and Development on "Measuring the Effectiveness of Training & Performance Management." She has a master's degree in Organizational Communications from the University of New Mexico and a master's degree in Business Administration.
Some of Ms. Roberts' engagements have been:
- Quality Function Deployment Institute Annual Symposium
- National Conference for the American Society for Quality
- National Conference for the American Society for Training and Development
- American Society for Quality Auditor's Conference
- American Society for Quality: Rocky Mountain Quality Conference
- The United States Office of Personnel Management's Annual - Conference on Total Quality Management
- Quality Congress for the American Society for Quality
Karen is a long time member of the American Society for Training and Development and the American Society for Quality.
Dr. Yogi Akao
Creator of Hoshin Kanri
Karen Roberts has studied advanced techniques with the co-creator of Quality Function Deployment, Dr. Yogi Akao.
The QFD Process
Robust methodology for implementing change...
We follow one of the most robust methodologies for product development: Quality Function Deployment. Karen Roberts has been facilitating and teaching Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodologies for the past 25 years. We provide exceptional product development team facilitation using QFD as a guiding methodology. We also teach workshops on QFD that are comprehensive, effective and concise. Just-in-time training methods can be employed throughout a team's QFD project.
She has a comprehensive background with advanced QFD techniques, including technology deployment, cost deployment, and reliability deployment. Based on the needs of the customer, customized QFD models can be created. The scope of what IMPACTure can provide to a QFD project team ranges from conducting formal training in QFD to determining appropriate market segments and competition, designing and moderating customer focus groups, analyzing market/industry data, facilitating product development projects using QFD methodology.
Organization Development
Change is the only constant in organizational growth...
Organizational development (OD) is an application of behavioral science to organizational change. We work with organizations to ensure that QFD (Quality Function Deployment) is introduced into your organization in a way that matches your corporate culture. OD encompasses a wide array of theories, processes, and activities, all of which are oriented toward the goal of creating positive organizational change.
Working with executive management teams, we facilitate the groups understanding of the competition, assess the current environment, help design and facilitate executive management teams, build product development teams that will be leading the QFD (Quality Function Deployment) efforts, design customized focus groups with team members and customers and help to identify road blocks that could undermine change efforts.
All of our training can be customized to fit your organization's individual culture. We provide cradle to grave project management for your product development efforts.
Voice of the Customer
Designing products & services that excite...
The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is about understanding the customers' needs. Vital information from the customer can be used for many different improvement activities. The primary objective for collecting the VOC is to provide improved products and/or services. The basic premise for using the customer's voice, is to define expectations and needs. Needs that they may not even know they have and expectations that exceed their wildest dreams.
Both time and money can be saved by carefully listening to what a customer says. Eighty percent of new products fail in the market place because no one paid attention to this most critical aspect - - the customer. For that reason, collecting the VOC is the first thing an organization should embark on when entering the market with a new product or service, or in the redesign of an existing product or service.
Because collecting the VOC is the most critical aspect of product/service development, we are meticulous in how we gather this data.
Workshops
We offer workshops in all content areas related to organization development and strategic planning.
Hoshin Kanri Basics »
SWOT Analysis »
Voice of the Customer »
Team Development »
Online Training
Visit our sister site LearnFirm.com for our online QFD training.
Hoshin Kanri »
SWOT Analysis »
Voice of the Customer »
Quality Function Deployment »
Quality Tools for Teams »
Resources
We strive to provide up to date assessment tools and research in the areas of strategic planning.
Assessing Your Organization »
Malcolm Baldrige Award »
Toyota and Hoshin Kanri »
White Paper/Hoshin Kanri Tools »
Are You Hearing Voices? »
Introduction to Hoshin Kanri »
Voice of the Customer White Papers »
Free QFD Template »
Contact Us
Contact us for a free quote on how we can provide training and consulting in Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and the Voice of the Customer (VOC).
info@qfdpro.com
719-686-8848