The impact of mass customisation on manufacturing trade-offs

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Squire, Brian; Brown, Steve; Readman, Jeff; Bessant, John
• 署名单位: University of Manchester; University of Exeter; University of Brighton; Imperial College London
• 刊物名称: PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1059-1478
• 发表日期: 2006
• 页码: 10-21
• 关键词: trade-offs; manufacturing strategy; Empirical Research

摘要

Management literature has suggested that the advent of mass customisation marks the end for trade-offs between customisation and other competitive priorities (Pine et al. 1993; Westbrook and Williamson 1993; Tu et al. 2001). However, evidence supporting this proposition is anecdotal. This paper examines the impact of product customisation on four competitive priorities, drawing upon the results of a recent survey of 102 U.K. manufacturing firms from eight industry sectors. The study indicates significant compatibility between customisation and quality, volume flexibility, delivery reliability and non-manufacturing costs. On the other hand, trade-offs remain between customisation and manufacturing costs and delivery lead times. The results contradict the initial proposition that customisation can be free, and have important implications for firms embarking upon a mass customisation strategy.