Analysis of interactions among the enablers of mass customization

Abstract

Purpose Current dynamic and turbulent business environment calls for adopting newer strategies so that organizations can create a niche for itself in the market, mass customization (MC) being one of them. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical enablers necessary to realize the objectives of MC, study the relationship among them and prioritize them in order of their importance so that a clear roadmap can be easily prepared for successful implementation of MC. Design/methodology/approach A portfolio of enablers of MC has been elicited from a thorough review of literature and experts’ opinion. Then, contextually relevant relations are chosen for each pair. In addition, a hierarchy-based structural model is developed by using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) technique. Findings The findings classify the enablers into different groups according to their driving and dependence power. The findings show the enablers of strategic importance that need focused attention. This paper develops a structural model including hierarchy of enablers that forms a basis for the firms considering transition to MC. Practical implications This paper allows the firms to differentiate the dependent and independent variables and their mutual relationships, also by identifying and establishing the connection and relationships among the enabling practices; firms can better prioritize the resources and implementation effort to successfully provide each customer exactly they want. Originality/value This paper happens to be one of the first of its kind in the area of mass customization research that presents a contextual model having a hierarchy of enablers.