GWR Consulting

The Kano Model: For Gaining a Thorough Understanding of Your Customers’ Needs

The Kano model is a well-known tool used in product development and customer experience management. It provides a framework for understanding customer preferences and design requirements and has become an essential tool for companies looking to create compelling and successful products and services.

The Kano model was developed by Professor Noriaki Kano in the 1980s, and is based on the idea that customer preferences can be divided into three categories: basic needs, performance needs, and excitement needs. Basic needs are the fundamental requirements that customers expect from a product or service, and are typically taken for granted. Performance needs are the features and attributes that customers expect to be delivered at a certain level of quality. Excitement needs are the features and attributes that customers value but do not necessarily expect, and can be a source of innovation and differentiation for a product or service.

The Kano model provides a way to map these customer preferences and design requirements, and helps companies to understand how different features and attributes of a product or service will be perceived by customers. This information can be used to prioritize development efforts and make strategic decisions about the features and functionality of a product or service.

One of the key advantages of the Kano model is that it provides a holistic view of customer preferences, and takes into account the complex and often conflicting nature of these preferences. By using the Kano model, companies can avoid the pitfalls of focusing solely on basic needs or performance needs, and can instead create products and services that are truly differentiated and compelling to customers.

In the context of customer experience management, the Kano model can be used to identify the key drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty, and to design and implement customer experience strategies that align with these drivers. By understanding the underlying customer preferences and design requirements, companies can create customer experiences that are truly exceptional and that deliver lasting value to customers.

In conclusion, the Kano model is an important tool for companies looking to create compelling and successful products and services, and is particularly valuable in the context of customer experience management. By using the Kano model, companies can better understand customer preferences and design requirements and can create customer experiences that are truly differentiated and exceptional.