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The paper aims to help companies develop a better understanding of customer needs through quantitative analysis of Kano's model.

A novel approach is developed to measure and quantify the relationships between customer satisfaction and the fulfillment of customer requirements (S‐CR) as depicted in Kano's model. A case study concerning notebook computer design is conducted to illustrate the application of the proposed approach.

By implementing the proposed approach, S‐CR relationship functions have been identified from Kano's model to illustrate the impact of different customer requirements on customer satisfaction. The case study demonstrates that the proposed approach can be implemented successfully.

In order to identify the S‐CR relationship functions, several assumptions have been made in determining the shape of relationship curves in Kano's model. Future work could focus on improving the assumptions to derive the relationship functions more objectively.

The proposed approach enables companies to develop a better understanding of customer requirements by visualizing the impact of customer requirements on customer satisfaction through S‐CR relationship functions. More importantly, it provides a way for companies to integrate Kano's model with other mathematical models or tools to support engineering design.

The proposed approach goes beyond the qualitative analysis in Kano's model by identifying S‐CR relationship functions, both linear and nonlinear, to measure the impact of different customer requirements on customer satisfaction, which is currently a new attempt in the analysis of Kano's model for quality improvement.

This paper aims to revise the ideal ratio for selecting new products based on their qualitative analysis of desired/undesired functions.

The Kano model has been integrated with the ideal ratio to select and prioritize the design of new products. First, the functional analysis method in value engineering was used to determine the attributes and functions of each product design. Then, the Kano model was used to determine the type of each product attribute and to use the desirable functions of attractive attributes, one-dimensional, must-be and undesirable functions of reverse attributes in the ideal ratio to select and prioritize the design of the product. To examine the application of the proposed approach, a gas instruments manufacturing company was investigated, and five new products were selected for the study.

Based on the results, the product design of industrial regulator GS 77/22 was selected as the superior product and the digital diaphragm gas meter, ultrasonic gas meter, axial regulator and turbine gas meter had the second to fifth priority, respectively.

The proposed method can help product designers determine product designs suitable for customers' expectations and provide a desirable prioritization of the product design in terms of their ideal ratio according to the customers.

The proposed approach provides a more desirable prioritization compared with other prioritization methods based on customers' viewpoints. In the proposed method, the Kano model results in respecting customers, understanding community needs, respecting consumers' rights and increasing the organization's social responsibility, which will significantly increase the chance of product success in the market.

To analyze the limitations of two methods used in the identification of satisfaction attributes in products and services – importance performance analysis (IPA) and Kano method – and to propose a new method for identification of improvement opportunities based on the competitive analysis of the improvement gap.

A case analyzing attributes of the service “rodizio de pizzas” a kind of pizzeria found in Brazil, was used to illustrate the proposed method. Resulting from a focus group, four attributes, one of them being an innovation, were specifically chosen to include the different categories of the Kano model: basic, performance and excitement attributes. A survey was conducted with a random sample of 110 undergraduate students that eat regularly at pizzerias.

As a major limitation, IPA leads to different conclusions depending on how an attribute's importance is figured. Also, it does not take into consideration the non‐linear relationship between the performance of the attributes and customer satisfaction, possibly misleading improvement decisions and hindering the introduction of innovations. The Kano method identifies the non‐linear relationship between performance and satisfaction, but it does not take into consideration the current level of attributes' performance in the analysis. The proposed method successfully identified improvement opportunities in a service case, including the possible impact of including a new attribute, i.e. an innovative attribute, overcoming limitations of the IPA and of the Kano method.

The paper provides an intuitive and simple method that correctly identified improvement decisions in the case studied, including the introduction of an incremental innovation.

The main impetus of the current paper is to identify and prioritize the work–family balance (WFB) satisfaction attributes specifically for working sole mothers' by deploying the Kano technique and weighted average method.

A multi-stage methodology has been used in the present analysis. Initially, the Kano method has been utilized to categorize the WFB satisfaction attributes using a three-dimensional WFB satisfaction scale. Afterward, the satisfaction coefficient technique was employed on Kano outcomes to get the WFB satisfaction and dissatisfaction index. Subsequently, the weighted average method was employed to prioritize the WFB satisfaction attributes.

Findings uncovered the significance of a non-linear association between WFB attributes and employed sole mothers' WFB satisfaction. The findings revealed that one-dimensional and must-be-based WFB satisfaction attributes are responsible for sole mothers' WFB satisfaction and employing organizations must not overlook them. Additionally, the results of weighted average method-based prioritization can help organizations to focus on particular WFB satisfaction criteria according to their priority level.

The findings are useful for WFB policy-makers and managers to formulate a suitable WFB strategy specifically for single mothers.

Results provide a path for employers to minimize the work–family role conflict and societal dissatisfaction that helps sole mothers to attain the desired WFB.

This study first employed a novel approach that incorporates the Kano application with the weighted average method in order to prioritize the WFB satisfaction attributes for lone mothers.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2023-0074

The purpose of the paper is to develop a hybrid method to prioritize risk factors (RFs) of sustainable supply chain (SSC) considering sustainable customer requirements (CRs) and uncertain evaluation.

In the proposed method, fuzzy Kano model (FKM) is applied to prioritize sustainable CRs considering customer satisfaction (CS) and objective weight of each CR, the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) set theory is integrated with quality function deployment (QFD) to translate the sustainable CRs into RFs of SSC under uncertain environment and the IVIF cross-entropy is used to conduct objective analysis to prioritize RFs. Finally, a case in air-conditioner-manufacturing company is presented to demonstrate the proposed method.

A case study of SSC risk management, the comparative analysis and associated discussions are conducted to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results obtained from the case study shows that RF5 (market share reduction) is the most important RF in the SSC. Compared with the existing methods, the proposed method can integrate sustainable CRs into SSC's RFs, handle uncertain information effectively and obtain objective importance of RFs.

Theoretically, the paper develops a customer-oriented model based on the FKM, QFD, IVIF sets and entropy theory to prioritize RFs of SSC under uncertain environment. The model enables to integrate sustainable CRs into RFs managements and is efficient to deal with the subjectivity and conduct objective analysis to prioritize RFs. In practice, the systematic and correct RFs' priorities analysis provides reliable decision support for the managers to take measures to avoid or mitigate the critical RFs.

The purpose of this paper is to apply Kano's method in practice in the cutlery industry and test its suitability to the cutlery industry. Furthermore, a Kano‐based process for weighting customer requirements is presented.

By using the example of the cutlery industry, the paper exemplifies in which way companies can use Kano's method to consider customer requirements as good as possible. Thereby, it is discussed how less popular Kano evaluation modes can support the process of prioritizing measures. Rest upon the results of a Kano project, a multistage method for weighting customer requirements is introduced. The method is based on the connection of already existing Kano evaluation modes. It calculates the meaning of a customer requirement by using the percentage dispatch of the requirement on individual Kano requirement categories.

The evaluation of Kano questionnaires – differentiated by age and sex – showed that a low price by itself is not a decisively criteria for a buyer's decision. The main successful strategy is the availability of an extensive service. The analysis of Kano evaluation modes showed that especially the methods CAT and M>O> A> I are conceptual useable for developing a Kano‐based weighting process. Through an adjustment of existing methods and by a variation of the factors of the multistage calculation algorithm it is possible to describe the process of customers' requirement prioritisation.

By calculating the weighted relevance of customer requirements directly from the results of a Kano project, the new method allows to optimize the customer orientation within the companies.

Healthcare providers are increasing their focus on patient satisfaction and patient-oriented services as they play a significant role in managing rising costs, elevating service quality and establishing sustainable quality improvement strategies. In recent years, the Kano model has gained popularity in the healthcare industry and has been employed to improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the Kano model can be deployed to identify a wide range of complex patient needs and convey its potential usefulness in the continuous improvement of the healthcare sector.

This paper provides a case study of implementing the Kano model to identify diverse patient needs and aims to eliminate the gaps identified in prior research, which include generically applying the Kano model to all service units of the healthcare system and using a predetermined service quality scale. This study emphasizes the importance of scale development and individual attention to each healthcare service unit in determining intricate patient needs. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Student Health Services (SHS) of Missouri University of Science and Technology where the data were collected using the Kano survey. The respondents included undergraduate and graduate students that have utilized the healthcare services offered. A total of 138 patients were surveyed using a Kano model-based questionnaire that included demographics and treatment as well as service expectations.

Of the 21 quality attributes evaluated by the patients, 16 were categorized as one-dimensional, 3 as indifferent, and 2 as attractive attributes using the Kano model. None of the quality attributes showed a dominant must-be feature. The students considered the availability of appropriately qualified medical staff within 10 minutes of the check-in process and provision of after-hours care as attractive attributes that create greater satisfaction.

The research was conducted at a university SHS center. Therefore, respondents in the survey are in a younger age group, which may affect patient expectations. In addition, expectations of an SHS center may be different than expectations of visiting a primary care physician and other healthcare units.

This study contributes to a better understanding of the identification of healthcare needs using the Kano model and advocates focusing on shifts in the categories over time and changes in the demographic environment.

The purpose of this paper is to revise the Kano evaluation table and separating indifference attributes in order to develop satisfaction and dissatisfaction indexes.

The indifference requirements have been separated and reclassified, and after revising Kano satisfaction and dissatisfaction indexes based on the new evaluation table, the developed Kano model has been examined in the city of Isfahan regarding attributes of candidates in the presidential election of 2013.

According to the new classification, the indifference attributes can be separated into seven types. The results of the case study also show that among 20 priorities of the presidential candidates, payment of subsidy, offering loan and financial facilities are must-be attributes; protecting investment and national production, export incentives and increasing national unity are attractive attributes; and the remaining are one-dimensional attributes.

The case study implies that the findings are dependent on the cultural and social context of the respondents. On the other hand, the findings of Kano model analysis are limited to short-time periods.

This research is typically unique in separating indifference attributes and in revising the satisfaction and dissatisfaction indexes of the Kano model. Practically, the application of the Kano model in the presidential election is also a new subject.

By applying Kano model, this study attempts to investigate the categorization of home delivery quality elements derived from service convenience model and their impact on customer satisfaction.

In this paper, the research framework and hypotheses are constructed through a literature review. Kano model is applied to classify the home delivery service elements into five quality attributes and gender is included to understand the difference of customer perception on the obtained quality elements. Statistical analyses of the collected questionnaires were computed based on the 476 effective responses regarding the home delivery service.

The results confirm that customers' perception of home delivery service elements are classified into one‐dimensional and must‐be attributes by Kano model, while this study contributes to the creation of attractive elements that significantly affect the customer satisfaction and owning an enormous potential to further differentiate competitors. Customer satisfaction is positively correlated with different types of service convenience. It also suggests that the customers with different gender have significantly different views to quality elements of home delivery service.

The major contribution of this study is that it attempts to examine the categorization of home delivery quality elements derived from service convenience model and their impact on customer satisfaction.

This research takes Taijiang National Park (TNP) tourists as the study population while gathering the survey data via an online questionnaire. For the data analyses, it uses the importance–performance analysis (IPA) and the Kano two-dimensional quality model to evaluate the tourist satisfaction of TNP. Specifically, it considers the importance of service quality, classifies its service quality attributes, and suggests the priority for service improvement, rendering the TNP valuable reference points to realign service strategies. The study shows that the service quality attributes related to service personnel are the priority item to be improved, which could eventually enhance tourist satisfaction. In addition, brand differentiation could be achieved by improving the attractive quality items identified in this study to enhance tourist loyalty.