Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Mass Customization: Metrics and Modularity

  • Published:
International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mass customization as a competitive strategy is getting progressively increasing attention in business and academic arenas due to its high potential to provide sustained strategic advantage in a unique fashion. It is well documented that a manufacturing company competes with others in its industry on five dimensions: Price, quality, flexibility, delivery, and service. According to the existing literature, mass customization provides significant strategic advantage in two of these dimensions—price and customization. We, however, argue that when properly implemented, the cellular manufacturing structure associated with the appropriate implementation of mass customization strategy, provides additional competitive value in quality and delivery. Furthermore by virtue of the customer co-design as an integral aspect of mass customization, customer satisfaction also improves under this strategy. Mass customization strategy, therefore, provides competitive advantage in all five competitive dimensions simultaneously—a truly unique strategic accomplishment. We also propose, in this paper, new metrics for mass customization strategy that measure the “mass” as well as the “customization” aspects of this strategy. Finally, we describe in the clearest terms the modus operandi of modularity in product design and the role it plays in bringing about high levels of customization on one hand and economies of scale at component level, on the other. We conclude with remarks that underscore the need for conducting research in the areas at the interface of mass customization and supply chain management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • “Brace for Japan's Hot New Strategy,” Fortune, (August 1993).

  • Adam, G., “Get Lean and Improve Quality,” Quality, Vol. 41, No. 10, pp. 44–47 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  • Alptekinoğlu, A. and Corbett, C., “Mass Customization vs. Mass Production: Variety and Price Competition,” Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 98–103 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, K. B., “Competing Through Manufacturing and the New Manufacturing Paradigm: Is Manufacturing Strategy Passe?” Production and Operations Management, Special Issue on Manufacturing Strategy, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 42–58 (1996).

  • Davis, S. M., Future Perfect, Adison-Wesley, Reading, MA (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  • De Meyer, A., Nakane, J., Miller J. G., and Ferdows, K., “Flexibility: the Next Competitifve Battle—Manufacturing Futures Survey”, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 135–144 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  • Desmeules, R., “The Impact of Variety on Consumer Happiness: Marketing and the Tyranny of Freedom,” Academy of Marketing Science Review, Vol. 22, No. 12, pp. 1–18 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  • Duray, R., “Mass Customization Origins: Mass or Custom Manufacturing?” International Journal of Operations and Productions Management, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 314–328 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  • Duray, R., Ward, P. T., Milligan, G. W., and Berry, W. L., “Approaches to Mass Customization: Configurations and Empirical Validation,” Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 18, pp. 605–625 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feitzinger, E. and Lee, Hau L., “Mass Customization at Hewlett-Packard: The Power of Postponement,” Harvard Business Review, pp. 116–121 (January-February 1997).

  • Ferdows, K. and De Meyer, A., “Lasting Improvements in Manufacturing Performance,” Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 168–184 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, C. H. and Hax, A. C., “Manufacturing Strategy: A Methodology and an Illustration,” Interfaces, Vol. 15, No. 6, pp. 28–46 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garwin, D. A., Operations Strategy: Text and Cases, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  • Garwin, D. A., “Manufacturing Flexibility: A Strategic Perspective,” Management Science, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 395–410 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, C. W., “Made to Order,” Marketing Management, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 12–22 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, R. H. and Pisano, G. P., “Manufacturing Strategy: At the Intersection of Two Paradigm Shifts,” Production and Operations Management, Special Issue on Manufacturing Strategy, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 26–41 (1996).

  • Hayes, R. H. and Schmenner, R. W., “How Should You Organize Your Manufacturing,” Harvard Business Review, pp. 107–118 (January–February 1978).

  • Hayes, R. and Wheelright, S. C., “Reflecting Corporate Strategy in Manufacturing Decisions,” Business Horizons, pp. 57–66 (February 1978).

  • Hayes, R. and Wheelright, S. C., “Restoring Our Competitive Edge, Competing Through Manufacturing, Wiley, New York (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, R. and Wheelright, S. C., “The Dynamics of Process-Product Life Cycle,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 15–22 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  • Interfaces, Vol. 15, No. 6 (1985).

  • Jiao, J. and Tseng, M. M., “A Methodology of Developing Product Family Architecture for Mass Customization,” Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 3–20 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiao, J. and Tseng, M. M., “Fundamentals of Product Family Architecture,” Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 11, No. 7, pp. 469–483 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiao, J., Zhang, L., and Prasanna, K., “Process Variety Modeling for Process in Mass Customization: An Approach Based on Object-Oriented Petri-Nets with Changeable Structures,” International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 335–361 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  • King, J. R., “Machine-Component Grouping in Production Flow Analysis: An Approach Using a Rank Order Clustering Algorithm,” International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 213–232 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotha, S., “From Mass Production to Mass Customization: The Case of the National Industrial Bicycle Company of Japan,” European Management Journal,” Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 442–450 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehman, D. R., “Customer Reaction to Variety: Too Much of a Good Thing?” Journal of the Academy Marketing Science, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 62–65 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  • Milan, Z., “Customer Specific Value Chain: Beyond Mass Customization?” Human Systems Management, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 93–97 (1996).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Piller, F. T., “Mass Customization, Impact on International Manufacturing,” Presentation at the Mass Customization: Key to Competitiveness for Textiles-based Industries, Ypsilanti, Michigan (May 19–20 2005a).

  • Piller, F. T., “Mass Customization: Reflections on the State of the Concept,” International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 313–334 (2004).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Piller, F. T., “What is Mass Customization? A Focused View on the Term,” Mass Customization News, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 2–4 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pine, B. J. II, “Mass Customizing Products and Services,” Planning Review, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 6–14 (1993a).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pine, B. J. II, “Mass Customization, the New Imperative,” Strategic Directions, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 2–3 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pine, B. J. II, “Making Mass Customization Happen: Strategies for the New Competitive Realities,” Planning Review, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 23 (1993b).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pine, B. J. II, Mass Customization: New Frontiers in Business Competition, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA (1993c).

    Google Scholar 

  • Production and Operations Management, Vol. 5, No. 1 (1996).

  • Schwartz, B., “Self Determination: The Tyranny of Freedom,” American Psychologist, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 79–88 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salerno, M. S., “The Characteristics and the Role of Modularity in the Automotive Business,” International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 92–107 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, W., “Manufacturing—Missing Link in Corporate Strategy,” Harvard Business Review, May-June, pp. 136–145 (1969).

  • Skinner, W., “Manufacturing Strategy on the “S” Curve,” Production and Operations Management, Special Issue on Manufacturing Strategy, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 3–14 (1996).

  • Skinner, W., “The Focused Factory,” Harvard Business Review, pp. 113–121 (1974).

  • Suzik, H. A., “GM Announces Modularity Project,” Quality, Vol. 38, No. 5, pp. 14–17 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  • Swamidass, P. M., “Manufacturing Strategy: Its Assessment and Practice,” Journal of Operations Management, pp. 471–484 (1986).

  • Tseng, M., and Jiao, J., (2001), “{ Mass Customization,”} Handbook of Industrial Engineering, Gaviel Salvendy, Editor, 3rd edition, Wiley, New York, pp. 684–709 (2001).

  • Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M. A., Ragu-Nathan, T.S., and Bhanu Ragu-Nathan, “Measuring Modularity-Based Manufacturing Practices and Their Impact on Mass Customization Capability: A Customer-Driven Perspective,” Decision Sciences, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 147–168 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J., Industrial Organizations, Oxford Press, Oxford (1965).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI

    Ashok Kumar

Authors
  1. Ashok Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kumar, A. Mass Customization: Metrics and Modularity. Int J Flex Manuf Syst 16, 287–311 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-005-5169-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-005-5169-3

Key words

Search

Navigation