Approaches to mass customization: configurations and empirical validation

Abstract

Mass customization is a paradox‐breaking manufacturing reality that combines the unique products of craft manufacturing with the cost‐efficient manufacturing methods of mass production. Although this phenomenon is known to exist in practice, academic research has not adequately investigated this new form of competition. In this research, we develop a configurational model for classifying mass customizers based on customer involvement in design and product modularity. We validate this typology through an empirical analysis and classification of 126 mass customizers. We also explore manufacturing systems and performance implications of the various mass customization configurations.

Análise Do Processo De Personalização Artigo De Projetos De Apartamentos Na Etapa De Construção: Estudo De Caso

“…A customização em massa é uma estratégia que focaliza o fornecimento de produtos ou serviços personalizados através de processos flexíveis em grandes volumes, a preços e prazos semelhantes a produtos padronizados (DURAY et al, 2000;SILVEIRA;BORENSTEIN;FOGLIATTO, 2001;ROCHA;SANTOS, 2012). É vista como uma ideia sistêmica, envolvendo todos os aspectos de venda do produto, desenvolvimento, fabricação e entrega.…”

Effects of Demand, Manufacturing Flexibility, Cost and Supply Chain on Product Modularity: A Study in Malaysia

“…Modular product design is considered to be an effective approach for mass customization and cycle time reduction (Duray et al, 2000). While, Worren et al (2002) and Sanchez (1995) argued that modular product would improve strategic flexibility for manufacturers.…”

“…While, Worren et al (2002) and Sanchez (1995) argued that modular product would improve strategic flexibility for manufacturers. Similarity, Duray et al (2000) also argued that the decision to implement product modularity is an important aspect in modular product design because different levels of modularity require different product design processes. There is a continuum describing a product system's degree of separateness, specificity and transferability of product components, based on whether the product systems are loosely or tightly coupled (Schilling, 2000;Sanchez, 1995;Bruyn et al, 2012).…”

“…The decision to implement product modularity is an important aspect in modular product design because different levels of modularity require different product design processes (Duray et al, 2000;Ulrich, 1995). Product modularity deals with a number of features of product components, including the extent to which modules are independent or separate, the extent to which components are specific, the extent to which modules are transferable or reusable within the production process (Baldwin et al, 2000;Schilling, 2000).…”

The Power of Integrality: Linkages between Product Architecture, Innovation, and Industry Structure

“…While conceptually very powerful, the operationalization of these archetypes has proven to be quite difficult, and various approaches have been chosen to overcome this difficulty (Fixson 2007). For example, some scholars use indirect measures, i.e., they assess the degree of product modularity indirectly by asking managers to estimate the degree to which certain consequences that are often associated with modularity -for example, the degree to which a buyer can customize a product, or the degree to which a manufacturing process allows late configuration -are more or less true for their own products (Duray, Ward, Milligan and Berry 2000;Worren, Moore and Cardona 2002;Tu, Vonderembse, Ragu-Nathan and Ragu-Nathan 2004). Others, particularly in the engineering literature, have developed numerous approaches to measure product architecture characteristics such as modularity, commonality, and platforms directly on the product (Nelson, Parkinson and Papalambros 2001;Fujita and Yoshida 2004;Simpson and D'Souza 2004).…”