Table Of ContentMass Customized
Manufacturing
Theoretical Concepts and
Practical Approaches
Mass Customized
Manufacturing
Theoretical Concepts and
Practical Approaches
edited by
Vladimir Modrak
Boca Raton London New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Names: Modrâak, Vladimir, 1957- editor.
Title: Mass customized manufacturing : theoretical concepts and practical
approaches / edited by Vladimir Modrak.
Description: New York : Routledge, 2017. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016026064 (print) | LCCN 2016038648 (ebook) | ISBN
9781315398983 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9781498755450
Subjects: LCSH: Mass customization. | Manufacturing processes. | Industrial
management.
Classification: LCC TS183 .M369 2017 (print) | LCC TS183 (ebook) | DDC
670--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016026064
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
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Contents
Preface ...............................................................................................................vii
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................ix
Editor...................................................................................................................xi
Contributors ....................................................................................................xiii
Section I: Trends and success factors in mass customization
Chapter 1 An introduction to mass customized manufacturing .........3
Vladimir Modrak
Chapter 2 Designing assembly lines for mass customization
production systems ...................................................................15
Dominik T. Matt and Erwin Rauch
Chapter 3 Role of information systems in mass customization .........37
Arun N. Nambiar
Section II: Complexity drivers in mass customization
Chapter 4 Complexity issues in mass customized manufacturing ...57
Hendrik Van Landeghem and El-Houssaine Aghezzaf
Chapter 5 Modeling of assembly supply chain structures ..................91
Vladimir Modrak and Slavomir Bednar
Chapter 6 Variety-induced complexity metrics....................................113
Vladimir Modrak and Slavomir Bednar
Chapter 7 Product variety management assuming product
configuration conflicts ...........................................................143
Vladimir Modrak and Slavomir Bednar
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vi Contents
Section III: Management and sustainability of mass customization
Chapter 8 Product configuration for order acquisition and
fulfillment ................................................................................167
Dario Antonelli and Giulia Bruno
Chapter 9 Shoe configurators: A comparative analysis of
capabilities and benefits ........................................................193
Enrico Sandrin, Cipriano Forza, Zoran Anisic, Nikola Suzic,
Chiara Grosso, Thomas Aichner, and Alessio Trentin
Chapter 10 Empirical investigation on implications of
configurator applications for mass customization ...........217
Linda L. Zhang and Petri T. Helo
Chapter 11 Sustainability assessments for mass customization
supply chains ...........................................................................235
Carlo Brondi, Davide Collatina, and Rosanna Fornasiero
Chapter 12 Sustainability issues in mass customized
manufacturing .........................................................................277
Arun N. Nambiar
Name Index ....................................................................................................297
Subject Index ..................................................................................................303
Preface
Research interest in mass customization clearly shows that this business
phenomenon is on the rise. Bearing in mind the extensive amount of lit-
erature in this area as well as scientific publications, one would think that
there is not much to say on the subject. And this question occurred to me
when I considered whether to start the preparation for this publication.
Later, after sorting through all the existing literature, I came to the con-
clusion that the literature dedicated to the manufacturing perspective of
mass customization is not excessive at all. This fact has encouraged me to
embark on this journey and to build a wider team of contributors. Some
of the invited authors from this research domain perceived the issue as
sufficiently explored and elaborated upon, and for this reason they did
not express interest in participating in this project. Those who saw the gap
in the literature supported my intention and sent me proposals for their
intended contributions. Subsequently, the proposed topics for this book
were sorted and arranged into three sections and the project moved to
its realization phase. It was quite challenging during the editing process
to harmonize different research approaches and attitudes into one com-
mon body of work. The book you are holding in your hands is the result
of these efforts.
The content of the book can be summarily characterized as follows:
The first section presents recent trends and success factors in mass
customization. In the introductory chapter, the concept of mass cus-
tomization and its success factors are briefly outlined. Subsequently,
recent trends in the design of mass customization production sys-
tems in connection with the Industry 4.0 concept are presented. The
concluding chapter of the first section offers a comprehensive view
on the need for a functioning and effective mass customization
information system that encompasses all activities involved in the
customization process.
Section 2 focuses on complexity drivers, as they are known, whose
products and processes in terms of mass customization are becom-
ing more complex. It brings higher uncertainty that may negatively
vii
viii Preface
affect the firm’s performance results. The first chapter focuses on
the role of complexity and its impact on the human operator within
assembly-oriented mass customization manufacturing. The sec-
ond chapter provides a structural framework to model alternative
assembly supply chain structures, which are later analyzed using
selected structural complexity indicators. Subsequently, the authors
focus on a combinatorial-based method to quantify product con-
figurations and variations representing product variety arising in
mass customized manufacturing. A method to assess alternative
mass customized system designs using newly developed measures
is then described. The last chapter of this section presents a method
to determine the more suitable degree of customization for a specific
product design platform. Its practicality is demonstrated through a
case application.
Section 3 mainly provides an overview of product configuration man-
agement and its different approaches. The first chapter presents a
metamodel of an interactive product configurator to assist the cus-
tomer during the definition of a customized product. Web-based
sales configurators are further discussed in the state-of-the-art
analysis for footwear configurators and benchmarked with con-
figurators for the fashion industry. Another chapter investigates the
implications of product configurator applications based on a survey
and brings answers to questions; for example, how product configu-
rator applications affect companies’ business activities. The last two
chapters are dedicated to sustainability issues in mass customiza-
tion manufacturing.
The book provides researchers, scholars, and practitioners with con-
ceptual tools and information about how to use new approaches to main-
tain and expand market share in a competitive environment. It is also
hoped that this book will encourage conventional manufacturers to adopt
some of the types of mass customization.
Vladimir Modrak
Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to all chapter authors who contributed to this edited book.
I thank my wife Reny for standing beside me throughout its comple-
tion. My thanks go also to Dr. Slavomir Bednar, for his continuous and
helpful technical assistance on this project, and to my doctoral student,
Ms. Zuzana Soltysova, who helped me produce the figures and graphics.
ix
