Five Types of Quality that the Kano Model Defines

 

The quality demanded by customers is never the same, and the level of satisfaction actually felt by customers varies. The Kano Model (pronounced “Kah-no”), proposed in the 1980s by Noriaki Kano, a professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Science, is a model of the quality that customers seek. This model is widely known overseas as the “Kano Model,” and it helps people understand the relationship between quality and customer satisfaction.

The Kano Model classifies the elements of quality into the following five types.

1. Must-be Quality: 

A quality element that is taken for granted when it is present (satisfied) but is perceived as unsatisfactory when it is not present (unsatisfied). In the case of software development, for example, it is the quality that the software works properly as it should. However, if there is a defect in the desired functionality, it will cause dissatisfaction among users.

2. One-dimensional Quality: 

A quality element that is nice to have but can lead to dissatisfaction if not present. This applies, for example, to how easily users can use a product. In fact, if the software works properly and is easy to use, user satisfaction will increase. However, even if there are no problems, once the design and usability are not good, and the UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) are inferior, user dissatisfaction will surely increase.

3. Attractive Quality: 

A quality element that is not necessary but would be nice to have, such as the functionality that automatically translates the audio of a video in a foreign language, for example, in video streaming services such as YouTube. As long as the original quality of watching videos without stress is met, there is no problem without automatic translation. Still, it can provide a high level of satisfaction for those interested in language learning.

4. Indifferent Quality: 

A quality element that does not affect customer satisfaction, whether present or absent. This includes, for example, cases where the application developer changes design specifications that are not important to the user. It is important to note that such service improvements in areas far from the customer’s interest will not affect customer satisfaction and will ultimately be a waste of time and effort.

5. Reverse Quality: 

A quality element that reduces satisfaction when present but is better when absent. For example, let’s consider a case where an advertisement not displayed before is now displayed on a video streaming service. Even if there is a benefit for the service provider to increase the revenue from the ads, there is also a risk that it may lead to a decrease in the evaluation of the service itself for some users who think that they would be happier without advertisements.

The following chart is a graphical summary of the five quality elements of the Kano model.

For people who develop and provide new products and services, it is important to focus on three of these elements: Must-be Quality, One-dimensional Quality, and Attractive Quality, in order to improve customer satisfaction in stages.

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