ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT The dawn of the globalization era has been both a boon and a bane for companies and enterprises engaged in providing goods and services. Globalization opened up new markets, thus allowing companies to expand beyond their traditional market base. It also provided access to new sources of raw materials, the latest technologies, and a skilled workforce. However, it also engendered stiff competition, with too many players vying for the same market base. Seeing the shift, customers began to demand products and services customized to their needs, thus making customers truly the kings and queens. As a result, with the help of practitioners and researchers, companies continuously strive to find new ways to provide the product/service mix that will attract customers while keeping the costs down. Mass customization is a paradigm that focuses on providing customers with a customized experience at a reasonably low
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 38 3.2 Background .............................................................................................. 40 3.3 Mass customization information systems .......................................... 42
3.3.1 Customer relationship management ........................................ 42 3.3.2 Product configuration systems ................................................. 43 3.3.3 Product design ............................................................................ 44 3.3.4 System integration ...................................................................... 44 3.3.5 Data capture mechanisms ......................................................... 45 3.3.6 Supplier relationship management .......................................... 47 3.3.7 Data analytics .............................................................................. 47 3.3.8 User experience ........................................................................... 48
3.4 Future research directions..................................................................... 49 3.5 Conclusions .............................................................................................. 50 References .......................................................................................................... 50
cost. This paradigm requires significant data collection across the entire operation of the enterprise and extensive analysis of the collected data to identify information related to customer preferences and how they translate into product or service features. With the advances in information technology in the recent years (also a result of globalization), it is possible to leverage information systems to facilitate this data collection and information processing. This chapter will identify the key elements and features of a holistic mass customization information system that encompasses all activities involved in the customization process.
