Kano analysis aims to differentiate potential customer satisfaction from a product, service or process feature into:

• Must-be
• One dimensional
• Attractive
• Indifferent
• Reverse

 

Kano analysis achieves this through customer answers to pairs of survey questions:

• (positive, functional question) How would you respond if this feature were in the product, service or process?
• (negative, disfunctional question) How would you respond if this feature were not in the product, service or process?

Example

(A vacuum cleaner)

Positive question : If the vacuum cleaner has an electric cable reel (instead of a manual reel), how would you feel about the cleaner?

Negative question : If the vacuum cleaner did not have an electric cable reel (instead of a manual reel), how would you feel about the cleaner?

1. It must be that way
2. I like it that way
3. I am neutral
4. I can live with it that way
5. I dislike it that way

Analysis

Survey answers are counted as pair-responses.  A matrix shows how each pair response corresponds to a satisfaction category.

Functional question	Disfunctional question
	(1) Must be	(2) Like	(3) Neutral	(4) Live with	(5) Dislike
(1) Must be	Q	A	A	A	O
(2) Like	R	I	I	I	M
(3) Neutral	R	I	I	I	M
(4) Live with	R	I	I	I	M
(5) Dislike	R	R	R	R	Q
Note: A: attractive; M: must be; O: one dimensional; Q: questionable; R: reverse

For example:

Product Requirement: Electric Cable Reel	Percentage of replies
	A	O	M	I	R	Q	Total	Category
	53.9	28.2	7.4	8.4	0.3	1.8	100	A

Extent of satisfaction =

Extent of dissatisfaction =

Interpretation of results

The positive CS-coefficient ranges from 0 to 1; the closer the value is to 1, the higher the influence the feature would have on customer satisfaction. (Example: 0.82)

For negative CS-coefficient, if it approaches -1, the influence on customer dissatisfaction would be especially strong if the analysed product feature were not fulfilled. (Example: -0.36)

Example Summary

The presence of an electric cable reel on a new vacuum cleaner (instead of a manual reel) would lead to more than proportional satisfaction.

It is an attractive feature.

 

 

Application References

"Capturing the customer’s voice, the centerpiece of strategy making", S.K. Bhattacharyya; Zillur Rahman, European Business Review, Vol. 16 No. 2, 2004, pp. 128-138

"Citizens' Role in Health Services: Satisfaction Behaviour: Kano's Model, Part 1", Antoni Corbella Jane, Salvador Maturana Dominguez. Quality Management in Health Care. Frederick: Jan-Mar 2003. Vol. 12, Iss. 1; p. 64

"Citizens' Role in Health Services: Satisfaction Behaviour: Kano's Model, Part 2", Antoni Corbella Jane, Salvador Maturana Dominguez. Quality Management in Health Care. Frederick: Jan-Mar 2003. Vol. 12, Iss. 1; p. 72