Strategies For Mass Customization

Abstract

<p class="Style1" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 35.75pt 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mass customization allows firms to produce only things their customers want (or produce after they have orders in hand). This approach, make-to-order, brings many benefits to firms in terms of cost and profit because of lower inventory levels, maximum sales, elimination </span>of material waste, flexible production and, most of all, customer satisfaction. However, mass customization may not be the panacea for <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">all <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">organizations. </span>While some companies are very successful with mass customization, others are not. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>This paper illustrates that mass customization strategies depend on an understanding </span>of the conditions in each industry.</span></span></p>