In today's competitive environment, manufacturing and service companies
are intensifying their customization processes. Customization means
companies must meet the challenge of providing individualized products
and services, without introducing high costs. Therefore, companies must
address both customization and cost factors to gain a competitive
advantage. While product customization is the manufacturing of products
according to individual customer needs, it does not involve any focus on
the cost perspective. INFORMATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCT
CUSTOMIZATION will concentrate on both product customization and costs'
efficiency, which is termed as mass customization. Moreover, mass
customization with its multi-dimensions is the new business paradigm
challenging today's manufacturing companies.
Understanding the needs and desires of the customer are central to the
strategy of mass customization. However, introducing customer needs into
the realm of product development dramatically increases the level of
complexity of creating and delivering the product both internally and
externally. This book introduces an innovative model that assesses and
distinguishes subjective and objective customer needs. This model along
with other software tools and AI agents address the complexity issues
that are both external and internal in a mass customization strategy.
Fundamentally, the book-- with its technical analysis, models,
conceptual frameworks, and managerial tools--closes the gap between the
complexity and the difficulty of mass customization with its potential
payoffs and implementation.
