Formation planning of blankets with volumetric fillers

Abstract

Background. A wide range of bedding products with various volumetric fillers is being sold on the Ukrainian market. Their mass production is carried out in accordance with applicable regulatory documents. Moreover, the consumer requirements taken into account at the planning stage of the production of these products will ensure their high competitiveness and successful sale. It is this problem that must be solved at the planning stage, in order to ensure that customer requirements will be taken into account at each stage of the product life cycle.
The aim of the article is to identify the wishes of potential consumers and take them into account when establishing technical characteristics (indicators) in the processes of planning and development of new types of beddings with volumetric fillers.
Materials and methods. The planning of the quality of the blankets was carried out in terms of the QFD approach [3]. Practical implementation was carried out at Gerd Billerbeck GmbH LLC (Kyiv). Among the options, different in fiber composition fillers of organic origin were considered. Consumer surveys were carried out using the questionnaire method through the official website of Gerd Billerbeck GmbH. The sample consisted of 550 respondents.
Results. As a result of the systematization of rather abstract and often repeating information, it is determined what is important for consumers when using blankets, namely: requirements for the duration of use (a durable cover, uniform distribution of the filler, the possibility of washing and chemical cleaning, the stability of size and shape); comfort during sleep (lightness (mass), heat retention, lack of allergens); beautiful appearance (coloristic design) and reasonable price.
The priority level for each characteristic is calculated; it shows which of them have a special effect on satisfying customer requirements.
The priority of properties is determined and the main directions for improving quality are selected by optimizing the raw material composition, increasing the bio stability and thermal resistance of fillers.
Conclusion. Based on the research results, a plan has been formed to optimize the quality of blankets with volumetric fillers, which takes into account the most important and promising needs of consumers of this product. This will further allow to minimize the quality adjustments of blankets after they enter the market. Indeed, the correct and timely selection of the characteristics of goods at the planning stage determines their usefulness and value for the consumer. The advantage of using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology allowed us to accurately identify customer expectations at the planning stage.