Applying QFD to strategic quality management in law firms

Abstract

This paper aims to propose a practical framework for strategic quality management in law firms by applying the quality function deployment (QFD) principles to integrate the voice of the client into the law firms' resource enhancement process. Based on a thorough exploratory study of the Catalan corporate legal industry, this article argues that QFD, along with other quality tools, allows for the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the legal service (the service value) as well as the critical resources for client satisfaction (the strategic quality resources), thus emphasising opportunities to leverage client expectations to the firm's competitive advantage.

Keywords:

• quality function deployment
• law firm
• legal industry
• strategic quality resources
• the voice of the client
• service value