01 · Purpose
Why and when to use it
Why?
It helps distinguish avoiding dissatisfaction from improving performance or offering an unexpected benefit.
When?
Use it in Define when priorities among customer requirements are unclear and a suitable group of customers can be consulted.
Who takes part? A facilitator and customer-research team prepare the questions; customers supply the responses; the project team interprets them.
02 · Application
How to apply it
Start with: Clearly described candidate features, customer segments, a sampling approach and a paired-question evaluation method.
- Describe one feature at a time in neutral, concrete language.
- Ask how the customer feels if the feature is present and if it is absent.
- Use consistent response options: like, expect, neutral, tolerate and dislike.
- Classify each response pair with a Kano evaluation table.
- Compare response distributions and segments; investigate contradictory or questionable answers.
- Combine the findings with feasibility, importance and binding requirements before prioritising.
03 · Example
A warehouse dispatch project
Original illustrative example. All quantities, targets, roles and timings below are fictional teaching assumptions, not findings from a real project.
| Illustrative feature | Response-pair pattern | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Correct item supplied | Expect when present; dislike when absent | Must-be pattern: prevent failure before pursuing extras. |
| Shorter fulfilment time | Like when present; dislike when absent | Performance pattern: fulfilment affects satisfaction in both directions. |
| Optional proactive delay warning | Like when present; neutral when absent | Attractive pattern for this respondent. |
| Decorative packaging | Neutral in both conditions | Indifferent pattern for this respondent. |
04 · Interpretation
What the result tells you
These examples illustrate response patterns, not survey findings. Do not assign a category solely by intuition or a single response. Report the distribution by customer group; expectations can differ between customers and change over time.
Completion check: A customer-segment view of requirement categories, response distributions and their implications for priorities.
05 · Judgement
Mistakes and limitations
Common mistakes
- Using only a question about whether customers like a feature.
- Calling every popular feature an attractive requirement.
- Treating an attractive category as permission to ignore must-be needs or contractual obligations.
Limits of the tool
Question wording and sampling can materially affect classification. Kano categories are context-dependent; they do not alone establish the best investment or a numeric performance target.
07 · Reading
Sources and further reading
Toolset backbone: Six Sigma+Lean Toolset: Mindset for Successful Implementation of Improvement Projects, second edition, edited by Stephan Lunau, with Renata Meran, Alexander John, Olin Roenpage and Christian Staudter (Springer, 2013). This reference identifies the toolset; the book text was not available for a chapter-level comparison in this development pass. The explanations, application sequence and fictional examples here are original LeanTrainingLab teaching material. Linked readings provide background; they do not prescribe every example or target.