Determining the service demands of an aging population by integrating QFD and FMEA method

Quality function deployment (QFD) techniques transform customer demands to service techniques, reducing design lead time and providing enhanced services to meet customer demands. A poor, aging service design exerts a negative effect on the quality of life of elderly people. Because government agencies have limited resources, improvement items cannot be implemented simultaneously. In this study, the risk priority number of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) was employed to determine improvement priorities for service demands. This methodology facilitates constructing a comprehensive Aging in Place policy and increases effective use of resources. The Aging in Place categories and policies are crucial. QFD and FMEA techniques were used in this study to design an Aging in Place policy and meet elderly people demands, provide a clear design, and improve service quality to match the demands and expectations of elderly people. The 16 service demands were identified by the experts and scholars. Six management techniques were obtained: education and training, space planning, medical facilities, human resources, transportation facilities, and recreational activities. According to the results, priority was as follows: (1) education and training; (2) space planning; (3) human resources.