Sessions
Session 1
Extending the Foundations of MCP
Monday Oct 5 2009
11:00-12:20
Sunikka, Anne (Helsinki School of Economics, Finland)
Bragge, Johanna (Helsinki School of Economics, Finland)
Personalization and mass-customization in the research literature
Personalization and mass-customization are defined in numerous ways in the research literature. We combine a text-mining approach for profiling personalization and mass-customization research with a literature review in order to distinguish the characteristics of these two research streams. Research profiling with search words personalization and mass-customization was conduted using the ISI Web of Science database in April 2009. The elements typical to the personalization and mass-customization research were identified. Personalization research has a strong focus on technology and the internet, in addition to which it emphasizes customers’ needs and preferences and information collection for user modeling and recommender systems. Mass-customization is an older research stream, and the main body of the research has focused on tangible products but has lately initiated service research as well. We suggest a classification of concepts linked to personalization in order to avoid confusion with the use of these concepts.
Daaboul, Joanna Macram (Ecole Centrale Nantes, France)
Bernard, Alain (Ecole Centrale Nantes, France)
Laroche, Florent (Ecole Centrale Nantes, France)
Implementing Mass Customization: Literature Review
Even though it is an attractive strategy, Mass customization (MC) is not feasible in all environments, and when it is, it presents many challenges to be dealt with. Therefore, an extensive study on how to implement MC is needed before the actual implementation. In this article a literature review is done to define how MC can be efficiently implemented and evaluated. Starting by defining the level of customization, then adapting the entire company to the desired MC strategy to finally evaluate it. Also it presents DOROTHY which is a European project that aims to design tools and methods for implementing MC in the footwear industry.
Daaboul, Bernard, Laroche -paper pdf
Tsigkas, Alexander (Demokritean University of Thrace, Greece)
Papantoniou, Agis (Technology Institute of Pireus, Greece)
Theorizing a new agenda on Mass Customization
This work provides a theory in order to shift mass customization from a mere physical product level to a perspective of total value system. Mass customization is the social production system currently evolving based upon Knowledge as the origin of value creation. Value is seen through the increasing involvement of the passive consumer turning into an active consumer. In modern capitalism, value is created through the mainstream economy based on the labour theory of value founded by Karl Marx. In the post-capitalist society value will be mostly created through the procumer economy and will be governed by a theory of value based on knowledge. The new economy goes further and beyond the experience economy of Josef Pine. It is argued that mass customization must break the limitizing borders of mass configuration, and follow its natural evolution from mass individuation towards mass personification. Aristoteles, four reasons for any natural change, are taken as the basis for categorizing knowledge. Heidegger’s phenomenology is adapted to approach the individuation process necessary for mass customization.
Tsigkas, Papantoniou -paper pdf
Joergensen, Kaj A. (Aalborg University, Denmark)
Customisation Design - Levels of Customisation
To implement Mass Customisation (MC) is often a non-reversible decision. Consequently, many issues have to be considered when companies want to move to such a future position. In order to support this decision making, a model for customisation has been developed. This model arranges customisation in four different levels of customisation, ranging from the structure level at the bottom, through the performance level and the experience level to the learning level at the top. The model has a dual view with a customer side and product side and it is important that a balance between these two sides are created and maintained.