This paper illustrates how Volvo tries to save time in QFD projects by adapting the methodology to the specific situations where QFD is used at Volvo. Specifically, the paper illustrates Volvo's aim to always find engineering characteristics that can be measured objectively and are correlated with specific customer needs. This way Volvo can save considerable time by omitting the relationship matrix. The underlying ideas presented in the paper are supported by an empirical example, the Volvo T4, which is a high performance car based on Volvo's S40 and V40 models