Analytics Use Cases for Mass Customization – A Process-based Approach for Systematic Discovery

Abstract

Nowadays, mass customization (MC) is shaped by the application of digital technologies like computeraided design, computer aided manufacturing, and distribution planning. Within a MC process, various data is created, which can be used to gain knowledge about past and future business activities by means of modern data analytics methods. The paper at hand applies design science research and presents a process-based approach for identifying potential analytics use cases for MC. For this purpose, a generic MC process is derived from previous literature and a systematic analysis is carried out using the work systems method. The resulting artifact offers a differentiated view on customers, products, activities, participants, technologies, and information as well as on the information flows within the MC process. It enables manufacturers to identify valuable opportunities for analytics and to optimize current MC processes. Furthermore, it can be used to develop a systematic process for the discovery and evaluation of analytics use cases and novel business models in the future.

The Impact of Digital Technology on Network Value Co-creation

“…Although the information gathered from the interviews indicated that the companies expected rapid solutions to complex problems from IT support, the response to the proposal to introduce analytics was cautious. Therefore, we used a method to identify analytics use cases [37]. We analyzed each phase of the network VCC process with each company and derived implementable use cases for data analytics.…”