Complexity Reduction in Mass Customization to Facilitate Better Decision Support

Abstract

Mass customization provides a way to satisfy an increasing number of customers by tailoring product details to their preferences. Moreover, there is a considerable amount of pressure on industries that embrace mass customization in their product portfolios to consistently produce innovative and market defining technology. To ease this pressure, this study offers organizations a perspective on what combination of attributes is most influential on choice when approaching decision support for the purchase of a Configure-to-Order product. Laptops are used here as a case study, but the approach is generalizable to any family of products. This approach first uses metrics gained from a modified conjoint analysis applied to data gathered from a student consumer base. Customer satisfaction is measured as a function of how many product offerings are provided, identifying and quantifying a trade-off between customizability and consumer satisfaction. This aims to cater to the requirements of the consumer base and key business advantages allowing for greater usability and maximum profits.