Value-added logistics: the answer to mass customization.

Abstract

Value added logistics: A new concept or just new terminology? If you read Today and Tomorrow you will notice that Henry Ford used postponed manufacturing to save on transportation costs: On one railway-wagon he could ship either three T-Fords or the parts for seven T-Fords. This is one of the reasons he build several assembly plants in the United States and in Europe (Dagenham, UK; Koln, Germany; and Amsterdam). Although this concept has existed for more than 70 years, I found out that it is still quite unknown. Thanks to information technology, it is becoming more powerful. This opens large possibilities for mass customization.