Prof Dr Ir Mokh Suef MScEng when delivering his scientific oration at his inauguration as the 186th Professor of ITS

ITS Campus, ITS News – Customer satisfaction is a crucial component in determining the sustainability of an industry. However, the subjectivity of customer satisfaction parameters used to date is still considered less than optimal in assessing. Therefore, the 186th Professor of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Prof Dr Ir Mokh Suef MScEng designed a mathematical calculation to measure customer satisfaction.

In his scientific oration entitled Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Industrial Sustainability, he explained that to determine the sustainability of an industry, especially in the manufacturing industry, the quality of the product or service offered must be linear with customer satisfaction. “With good product quality, customers will be satisfied, and the company’s positive image will increase,” he said.

Prof Dr Ir Mokh Suef MScEng carries out activities at the ITS Manufacturing Systems Laboratory to support his research

However, according to the lecturer, familiarly called Suef, many companies still use a questionnaire system to determine customer satisfaction up until now. This method is considered ineffective because of the low number, the long time it took to get results, and the habit of respondents’ responses. “So it is necessary to use a special formula to assess customer satisfaction based on a quality attribute approach,” he said.

First, to determine customer satisfaction, main attributes are needed. According to Suef, the main attributes are product attributes that are not requested but can impress customers if they exist. According to this definition, the main attribute focuses on the company’s product innovation. “Mathematically, it involves the parameters of the product innovation index, product maturity ratio, and product quality level,” he added.

What-if analysis scheme initiated by Prof Dr Ir Mokh Suef MScEng related to determining the quality level of product attributes

Furthermore, the Department of Industrial Engineering and Systems lecturer said, that the following attribute is mandatory. Namely, the product attributes that customers want, so if the product is unsuitable, the customer will be disappointed. Thus, product quality and customer satisfaction will run linearly. “In the formula, the parameters involved are the same as before, only replacing the innovation index with a constant customer dissatisfaction threshold,” explained the man born in Jombang on June 30, 1965.

The last attribute is the absolute attribute, defined as a product attribute that already exists on the market. So, if it does not exist, customers will be disappointed. However, customer satisfaction responses will be very high if the company can meet current and future customer needs. “Mathematically, the calculation is a combination of main and absolute attribute formulas,” he stressed.

Chair of the ITS Professorial Council Prof Dr Imam Robandi MT (left) handing over the certificate of inauguration of the 186th ITS Professorship to Prof Dr Ir Mokh Suef MScEng

Based on the formula he initiated, this father of four children hopes that this formula can become a reference for companies to determine product quality to increase customer satisfaction. Apart from that, it can also be a material for company evaluation in maintaining company stability and sustainability. “Hopefully, this formula can be a solution for companies to compete in national and international industries,” concluded Suef. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Nabila Hisanah Yusri

Translator: Hanifah Inayah