Aplicação do desdobramento da função qualidade (QFD): estudo do caso da produção de azeite de oliva na metade sul do estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The olive trees cultivation in Brazil was introduced by the Portugueses around 1800, however, only in 1907 the cultive started in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The olive oil is produced from the olive, originating fruit of the olive tree, and its consumption is driven by the change in consumer behavior, seeking the appreciation of healthy food consumption and increasingly demanding and being more attentive to the characteristics of the products. Currently, in view of the wide variety of products offered, the need to produce a product that meets the expectations of its customers with a market differentiation increases. Companies from different segments, such as food, are using methods to obtain a final product that meets the requirements of these costumers. In this sense, the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a method used in order to assist the attempt to convert the desires of consumers in product specifications. This paper presents an exploratory research, by conducting a case study of the olive oil production in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and aims to identify the requirements of the consumers necessary for the commercialization of the olive oil through the use of QFD methodology. The data were collected through interviews with the main olive producers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and also through the survey questionnaire, applied to olive oil consumers in Bagé (RS). Through the construction of the quality house matrix present in the QFD of the four phases, it was identified that requirements such as information on the label, spicy taste, herbal flavor, fragrant aroma, green color and sales price are classified by consumers as essential for the marketing of olive oil. In this way, the methodology used in this research was adequate to reach the proposed objectives.