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Prioritizing using the Kano model

Software development and DevOps are all about the customer. The success of a product or service is determined by what the customer thinks of it. It is therefore important that the wishes of the customer are clear. We call this the “voice of the customer”. If the wishes of the customer are clear, it is important to find out the wishes that make the difference, and what should be at least in order: priority must be given to customer wishes. This is possible with the help of the Kano model which was created by Professor Noriaki Kano [Kano 1984]. This model helps the product owner and the team to determine expectations, priorities and explicit needs of customers.

The Kano model

In the next figure, the horizontal axis in the model indicates the extent to which a specific customer requirement has been fulfilled and on the vertical axis the degree of satisfaction for the customer.

Kano Model

We distinguish 3 different factors in this model: basic factors, performance factors and WOW factors:

  • Basic factors.
    The basic factors are so obvious that the customer does not even mention them when asked, although they certainly assume they have been met. If that is not the case, this will result in great dissatisfaction.
  • Performance factors.
    Performance factors are usually mentioned by a customer when asked what they expect from a product. If the product performs better, its satisfaction will increase, if it performs less, satisfaction will decrease.
  • WOW factors.
    WOW factors (also known as “Exciter factors”) give the customer a “wow” feeling. These are often subconscious wishes or latent needs. If these factors are missing, the customer does not miss them, but if they are present, customer satisfaction increases explosively.

Effect of time on factors

If the same WOW factors occur more often, they can degenerate to performance factors and eventually even to basic factors. Take cruise control in a car for example: years ago, this was often seen as a WOW factor. It has now become so common that this has degenerated to a basic factor. In DevOps you have to ensure that the basic factors are always in order, continue to work on performance factors and occasionally provide a WOW factor. Customers are then basically satisfied, experience a high service level due to good performance factors and are occasionally truly taken by surprise.