The main challenges for manufacturing companies in implementing and utilizing configurators

Kristjánsdóttir, Katrín; Shafiee, Sara; Hvam, Lars; Forza, Cipriano; Mortensen, Niels Henrik

doi:10.1016/j.compind.2018.05.001

Cited by 40 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Knowledge about the configuration process as a group-decision process [76], and about the need for the digital interaction between OSC users with different referents could be new knowledge that needs to be considered and even modeled in configuration environments, thus further increasing the knowledge-management aspect of configurators [77]. Furthermore, this knowledge-related aspect could present new challenges for the implementation of OSCs, in addition to those already known [78] and peculiar to business-toconsumer contexts [79]. Finally, our study suggests the possibility of improving OSCs by not only working on the established OSC capabilities (see [80] as an example of improvement identification), but also working on the OSC´s connection with SSW, thus satisfying the users' social-interaction needs during their configuration processes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Users’ Social-interaction Needs While Shopping via Online Sales Configurators

Grosso¹,

Forza²

2019

Int J Ind Eng Manag

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The growing adoption of social web technologies such as social software (SSW) in online configuration environments has enabled the possibility of supporting configurator users in interacting digitally with real people while they are shopping for customized products. Previous research has identified that online sales configurators (OSCs) are currently connected to SSW with different modalities to provide configurator users with a variety of options to digitally interact with real people. Enriching the configuration environment with social-interaction tools has engendered the phenomenon of socialproduct customization. Recent studies considered the social product-customization by investigating the impact that community feedback and social comparisons has on configurator user. However, the OSCs users' need to interact with different referents during their configuration process, and whether the SSW-OSCs connections respond to this need are still unsearched. To address this gap, the present study explores (a) whether users experience the need to interact with different referents while shopping via OSCs and (b) which interaction modalities users are looking for. By considering 943 configuration experiences from 189 users of 378 OSCs for various consumer goods, the present study finds that the need for social interaction by OSC users is highly relevant. Moreover, OSC users perceive the need to interact with different referents during different stages of the configuration process, and, depending on the referent with whom they wish to interact, they are interested in different interaction modalities in terms of how and where those interactions take place. These findings imply that mass customizers may leverage their customers' need to interact with real people while shopping online via OSCs in order to better engage their actual and potential customers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Users’ Social-interaction Needs While Shopping via Online Sales Configurators

Grosso¹,

Forza²

2019

Int J Ind Eng Manag

Self Cite

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“…The literature on product configuration systems (PCSs) discusses in detail the modeling process [11,12] and the benefits realized from their implementation [4,13,14]. More recent research focuses on the challenges of implementing PCSs [15][16][17]. However, the cost of not maintaining a PCS is rarely discussed.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For a PCS, the maintenance part includes updating and maintaining the system's product features and their level of detail [26]. The main challenges identified in the literature with respect to the maintenance phase of the PCS are related to the product complexity, the frequency of product changes, and the accessibility and knowledge sharing of information needed to perform the maintenance tasks [15]. Complexity is one of the main difficulties in both software development and software maintenance [27].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Then, the task of maintaining the PCS becomes rather challenging and timeconsuming [28,29]. The failure to communicate the knowledge during the maintenance phase of the PCS is considered important among manufacturing companies [15]. Lienz, Swanson and Tompkins [24] conducted a survey to analyze how companies perceive the tasks of software maintenance and enhancement.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cost of Not Maintaining a Product Configuration System

Rasmussen¹,

Myrodia²,

Hvam³

et al. 2018

IJIEM

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This article investigates the cost implications of using a not sufficiently maintained product configuration system (PCS). A case study is conducted to investigate the financial loss due to poor data quality in products sold through a not-maintained PCS. We calculated the financial loss by comparing the quotations generated by the not-maintained PCS and the quotations for the same product when the PCS was updated. The results indicate that the company has been selling the products with a miscalculated 20% lower cost than the actual one. Comparing this financial loss to the cost required to keep the PCS up-to-date, we show that the former is significantly higher than the latter. The research concludes that the realized success and benefits of utilizing a PCS are related to its maintenance and data quality.206 Rasmussen et al. IJIEM section 3 presents the research method and introduces the case company. Section 4 presents the results and answers the research questions. Section 5 discusses the results and concludes.

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“…For obtaining more precious results and to avoid the silicon casting process, an Inkjet 3D printer has been utilized. The final result showed that new designed grippers passed the test of maximum pressure and pressure displacement by using FEMsimulation.Kristjansdottir et al[33] reviewed the literature of reconfiguration manufacturing system and the challenges faced by the configurators in manufacturing companies. Six main challenges have been assigned and categorized which are: IT-related, product modeling, organizational, resource constraints, product-related, and knowledge acquisition.…”

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confidence: 99%

Analysis of the Integration of DFM Techniques and Effective Machining Parameter Selection in Metal Parts Manufacturing

Al-Shebeeb¹

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This dissertation investigates the minimization of part design with self-locating features. The research focuses primarily on self-fastening characteristics, standardization of parts, and minimal use of fasteners. Further, the present research studies the design for base parts in the construction of a moving joint system, in order to locate potential part and system design improvements. This process may then be extended to industrial applications in the manufacturing industry. Relatively little work to date has examined the significance of Design for Manufacturing Techniques (DFMT), with their inherent machine element systems and machining parameters to investigate which DFMT has the most influence on cost reduction and increasing throughput, and under which circumstances. As such, this dissertation analyzes the inter-operational and synergistic elements of the DFMT, machine element systems, and machining parameters. The parametric specifications for the DFMT are examined and integrated with the cost and productivity-related information. In sum, this research applies DFMT to product design.

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The main challenges for manufacturing companies in implementing and utilizing configurators

Cited by 40 publications

References 38 publications

Users’ Social-interaction Needs While Shopping via Online Sales Configurators

Users’ Social-interaction Needs While Shopping via Online Sales Configurators

Cost of Not Maintaining a Product Configuration System

Analysis of the Integration of DFM Techniques and Effective Machining Parameter Selection in Metal Parts Manufacturing

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