THE USE OF QUESTIONNAIRES FOR ASSESSMENT OF CUSTOMER’S NEEDS IN SEEDS LABORATORIES

Abstract

Use of questionnaires is usual in the identification of customer’s needs. Identifying these needs is made with the aid of literature, analysis of similar technical systems, consulting experts, using simulations and a questionnaire to product customers. This work is not an evaluation of product, but of a service. The life cycle concept is widely used for product design, but does not have a use for services because its characterization is different. Therefore the objective of this study is to incorporate the concept of life cycle and questionnaires in a service such as a seeds laboratory, in order to make more precise mapping of needs and wishes of customers. Thus, identification of internal and external customers, identifying life cycle of seed samples, to a questionnaire on the needs and apply it to customers identified earlier in the process. The results showed that: seed laboratory life cycle is an efficient tool for identifying customer’s needs; the methodology of questionnaires should be used more often as a management tool; 24% customers are dissatisfied with the emission test results.