The aim of this paper is to apply of Quality Function Deployment for redesigning on fashion product. Quality Function Deployment is a useful tool in product development with the application of voice of customer. The findings could helps in redesigning Malaysia Batik sarong to be a better in design quality.

According to Legino, 2012 and Yunus, 2013, local Batik producers in Malaysia are still producing batik sarong with printing or stamping method and freehand stylus batik using canting. This research will focus on the Batik sarong which locally produced in Kelantan and Terengganu states in Malaysia. Ismail et al. (2013) stated the batik designing activities frequency could boost up the sales performance of Small Medium Enterprises in Peninsular Malaysia. As in a Batik sarong tradition production, all the design specifications are from the ideas and creativity of the designer or the Batik producer (Yunus, 2013).

The first objective of this research is to utilise the application of Voice of Customer in redesigning cultural fashion product. The customers’ feedback or known as the term ‘Voice of Customer’ could help the manufacturer to better the product before the following production. This Voice of Customer could offer a specific detailing for quality which needs to be redesigned in a product. Meanwhile, the second objective is to distinguish design specifications and characteristics using House of Quality. In product designing phase, it is crucial to identify each specification and characteristic which translated from Voice of Customer to the House of Quality matrix. This matrix would help designers to design according to qualities that customer wants for a better and successful product in a market.

Quality Function Deployment is has been used in automotive industries in the decades back but now other industries are applying it as well. Golshan et al. (2012) studied on using Quality Function Deployment to detect important items influencing clothing industry in Iran focusing in men’s shirt. Meanwhile, Huang and Tan (2007) research was on how to characterise various key factors affecting apparel design and product quality. Ng and Wang (2007) explored further benefits of research collaboration between an innovative clothing-making technology and an effective design management instrument, Quality Function Deployment toward integrated products design development. Waisarayutt and Siritaweechai (2006) study about the potential of using Quality Function Deployment as a tool for product development, the communication transferred between marketing to research and development to prove Quality Function Deployment efficiency in producing sports bra in Thailand. The input that could be concluded in these researches is Quality Function Deployment could be applied to fashion product. It really helps to identify and managing a proper production process with specific technical aspects. But the challenge would be the cost and time constraint to test the results into production.

The scope of this research would be limited on the Malaysia Batik sarong and the samples taken on Malaysian women consumers only. As a pilot test, a structured survey was executed with targeted sampling total the minimum of 10 and the maximum of 30 participants. It would be suffice to have the data from 10 to 30 participants to build the House of Quality model (Griffin and Hauser, 1993). The expertise opinion for matrices validation would be from the Malaysian expertise in fashion design with Malay Batik sarong knowledge.

It is hope this research would indicate the customers’ requirements and production team idea could be measured and translated to a systematic data. It could be a detailed and specific technical requirement could be planned earlier before it is actually being produced. This could be a sustainable approach for a traditional product which could control the material that they use and sustain the quality as the past production. This research would help the Small Medium Enterprises design team or the designers to design a product from customers’ view and plan well. This research finding also could assist designers or batik producers to understand the consumers’ requirements in Batik sarong. The Small Medium Enterprises also could plan their sarong product using the identified specifications in the research as a starting point of research and development plan in sales and marketing strategy.

• Mardziah Md Kamal(University of Manchester, UK)
• Yi Wang(University of Manchester, UK)
• Richard Kennon(University of Manchester, UK)