What is the Kano model?

Assume we're building a product for a software tool, and we need to list the features we need. The list of features is too long, and we're short on time and budget to build each feature. We now need to decide which features we're going to prioritize. One way is to perform surveys with mixed opinions that might not satisfy every customer, as many customers may not even be able to articulate or know what they want. So, how can we go about this? This is where the Kano model comes in.

Kano model

A Kano model is an analysis tool that helps to prioritize a feature based on how much that feature will satisfy the customers. Product managers usually use this model. It was developed in 1984 by Japan's professor Noriaki Kano but continues today as an essential tool for all organizations.

The Kano model's primary purpose is to identify all the different product requirements and see what the customers expect and how they would be satisfied.

Categories

This model has five categories of qualities that we represent on a grid. The x-axis of the grid represents the company's execution which goes from not-executed to executed very well. The y-axis represents the customer's satisfaction, from low satisfaction at the bottom to high satisfaction at the top.

The five categories of quality are:

• Must-be: As the name suggests, the product must hold these qualities.

• One-dimensional: These qualities that, if met, result in customer satisfaction. Otherwise, it results in customer dissatisfaction.

• Attractive: These qualities will make the customers happy if presented and won't lead to dissatisfaction if not present.

• Indifferent: These qualities don't affect user satisfaction, regardless of being present or not;

• Reverse: These qualities have a reverse effect on user satisfaction.

This is how each quality is represented in the diagram:

When to use the Kano model

The Kano model is helpful as it saves time and money and leads to user satisfaction. Let's see where this model helps:

• Tight deadlines: The Kano model is a great tool to use when we have limited time. It speeds up the decision-making process.

• Limited resources: The Kano model will be the savior when dealing with tight deadlines and budget constraints. The Kano analysis is a simple method and does not require expert resources.

• User satisfaction: The Kano analysis gathers all the information the product manager needs to decide what will satisfy the end user.

Implementation

The Kano model is a mixture of survey and conceptual models. Here are a few steps we can follow for the implementation:

Step 1: List down the features

The first step is to list all the features we need to include in the project. We'll use these features in the following steps.

Step 2: Craft a survey

We make a survey/questionnaire that includes all the features. Ideally, we create scenarios to demonstrate that feature. For example, one of the features of our project is to see how our customers would react to a coffee maker in a hotel room. We could ask the following question:

How much do you like the idea of a coffee maker in your hotel room?

We can add options like the following:

• Very satisfied

• Somewhat satisfied

• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

• Somewhat dissatisfied

• Very dissatisfied

Similarly, we can add one or two other questions related to this feature. Your questions should answer the following two statements:

• If you had this (feature), how would you feel?

• If you didn't have this (feature), how would you feel?

Step 3: Analyze your data

We can create a Kano evaluation spreadsheet that will include all the information. With this or an online tool, we can also visualize the data.