Towards high value-added products and services: mass customization and beyond

Mass customization enhances profitability through a synergy of increasing customer-perceived value and reducing the costs of production and logistics. It inherently makes high value-added products and services possible through premium profits derived from customized products. This strength is particularly attractive to OEM-based industries. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of mass customization for manufacturing industries and service providers. Also outlined is a technological road map for implementing mass customization based on building block identification, product platform development, and product life-cycle integration. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.