What is a characteristic of a Critical-to-Quality Tree?

A Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) Tree is a crucial tool used in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to identify and prioritize customer requirements. The focus of a CTQ Tree is squarely on what the customer values as important quality attributes of a product or service.

By prioritizing customer demands, the CTQ Tree helps organizations translate high-level customer requirements into specific, measurable characteristics that can be used to drive improvements. This ensures that the product or service aligns closely with what customers consider essential, thereby enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.

Focusing on internal targets or restricting communication with customers would not align with the primary purpose of a CTQ Tree, which is to bridge the gap between customer expectations and the operational processes that deliver value to those customers. Similarly, being simple and unstructured would undermine the effectiveness of a CTQ Tree in organizing and prioritizing information that directly impacts quality from the customer's perspective.