An Engineer-To-Order Mass Customization Development Framework

Abstract

Developers of automated manufacturing systems are often categorised as Engineer-To-Order companies, relying on the ability to offer solutions that are tailored to the individual consumer. Managing product variety and enabling reusability between solutions becomes key concepts towards increasing competitiveness and revenue, in which Engineer-To-Order companies may benefit from adopting Mass Customization concepts. As automated manufacturing systems tends to be software intensive, it become equally important to enable reusability for physical components and for software related artefacts. In parallel to Mass Customization, Software Product Line Engineering has emerged as a way for software developers to manage variability and reusability. This paper seeks to combine the concepts of Mass Customization and Software Product Line Engineering, by introducing a development framework applicable for Engineer-To-Order companies offering automated manufacturing systems.

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