Cracking the Code of Mass Customization

Mass customization has been trickier to implement than first anticipated, and many companies soured on the approach after a number of high-profile flops, including Levi Strauss & Co.'s failed attempt at manufacturing custom jeans. But research suggests that mass customization is not some ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:MIT Sloan management review 2009-07, Vol.50 (3), p.71-78 P.
Main Authors: Salvador, Fabrizio, de Holan, Pablo Martin, Piller, Frank T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business administration
Customer feedback
Customers
Customization
Economics and Finance
Humanities and Social Sciences
Manufacturing
Market strategy
Radio stations
Software
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Summary:Mass customization has been trickier to implement than first anticipated, and many companies soured on the approach after a number of high-profile flops, including Levi Strauss & Co.'s failed attempt at manufacturing custom jeans. But research suggests that mass customization is not some exotic approach with limited application. Instead, it is a strategic mechanism that is applicable to most businesses, provided that it is appropriately understood and deployed. The key is to view it basically as a process for aligning an organization with its customers needs. That is, mass customization is not about achieving some idealized state in which a company knows exactly what each customer wants and can manufacture specific, individualized goods to satisfy those demands all at mass-production costs. Rather, it is about moving toward these goals by developing a set of organizational capabilities that will, over time, supplement and enrich an existing business.
ISSN:1532-9194