Operationalizing Mass Customization in Manufacturing SMEs—A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

With the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution, market globalization, and growing customer demands, companies are being forced to rethink their ways of doing business to remain competitive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector must also adapt to personalized customer demands. This context forces companies to migrate towards mass customization. The literature proposes several strategies for adapting to this new paradigm but does not offer an implementation sequence for successfully operationalizing mass customization within an SME. Based on a systematic review of the themes surrounding Industry 4.0 and mass customization in the literature, this article aims to highlight the different strategies and factors to be put in place to successfully implement mass customization. This research reveals the lack of a prioritization of factors that favour the operationalization of mass customization. Lastly, the literature does not detail the tools and their levels of maturity resulting from the factors to be implemented. This article highlights the gaps in the literature related to mass customization.

Integrating Modular Design Concepts for Enhanced Efficiency in Digital and Sustainable Manufacturing: A Literature Review

“…The high level of customization allows for meeting the individual needs of customers or closely matching those needs [3,14] since customers are limited to selecting a combination of options [4].…”

“…The second objective of MC is to produce this variety at mass production costs [3]. Good responsiveness, high production efficiency, and a flexible and stable production process [15] help to keep production costs at a low level [14]. Companies must, therefore, have volume efficiency and responsiveness to be able to quickly respond to this variety [16].…”

“…The selection of appropriate concepts and tools is crucial to meet the specific objectives of each strategy and to fully realize their potential. The adoption of modularity is a crucial concept for managing the variety and complexity of products inherent in MC and MPe strategies [5,14,21]. Several key concepts essential for developing a modular product design strategy will be elaborated upon in the following sections.…”

“…It achieves product segmentation that allows for the parallel design of modules [29], thereby reducing the time to market [25]. Some of these modules can be reused [22,29], thus reducing the time and design cost [14,22,25]. The reuse of modules and parts, thus, reduces internal variety [23,24], that is, the number of parts needed to meet the product offering.…”

Research Trends and Prospects of Green Economy in Economic Literature: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…One such gap pertains to the uneven geographical distribution of research, wherein certain regions may be underrepresented in the academic discourse [12]. Moreover, there remains a need to assess the interdisciplinary nature of research within the green economy, particularly its intersection with fields such as environmental science, sociology, and political economy [13]. Additionally, while numerous studies like [14], [15] have explored the macroeconomic implications of transitioning towards a green economy, there is a dearth of research focusing on micro-level analyses, such as the adoption of sustainable practices by businesses or the behavioral aspects of green consumption.…”