The application of quality management in e-learning, by QFD technique and based on customers´ needs (A case study in an Iranian University)

Service offering according to customer needs with the aim of customer satisfaction is considered as the first factor in quality improvement and product (service) design. Quality management is a developing system which provides a set of “Procedures”,” Tools” and “Training Methods” for the management. For instance, QFD technique (Quality Function Deployment) is one method on which this paper is based. This paper shows how an e-University can translate the customer`s voice into technical requirements in order to deliver high quality program and service in e-Learning. In this regard, by selecting a target community from among undergraduate and postgraduate students in the investigated university, their needs were extracted through interviews with focus groups. Then they were categorized under three categories by the technical team: 1e-Learning system 2e-content and 3Virtual(online) classes, In the next step, technical requirements corresponding with each need were identified by QFD team and finally, by creating the House of Quality and QFD techniques, some Solutions (Technical Requirements) which lead to the most customer satisfaction were identified. In fact, the result of this research will allow the managers to identify and prioritize technical requirements in three areas (eLearning system, e-Content and Virtual class) with regard to financial resources limitations, technological possibilities and the importance of customer needs, along with the aim of reaching the highest level of customer satisfaction.