How to incorporate mass customization manufacturing into your existing system

Introduction

We are all familiar with what an assembly line is and how assembly lines can drastically speed up the production of goods that are uniform and intended to be produced in large quantities. But not as many people are familiar with the term mass customization. Mass customization is a manufacturing process where a customer is able to have a product customized to fit his exact needs. From a business standpoint being able to satisfy specific customer needs leads to customer loyalty and increased sales. For manufacturing processes, customizing products on a mass scale has its challenges.

Mass customization is very popular with consumers. Mass customization allows the consumer to feel like they are receiving personalized attention. Consumers associate increased value with being able to work directly with the manufacturer to create a product that is unique to their particular business and has been created to fill specific needs of the consumer. Mass customization is also an excellent service to offer your customers if you want to increase their loyalty to your manufacturing establishment.

How to incorporate mass customization manufacturing into your existing system:

The following outlines very basic steps that management of your manufacturing company would generally go through in order to first determine if mass customization manufacturing was right for the company and then what steps would need to be taken to incorporate the system of mass customization.

1. Manufacturing plant managers considering the incorporation of mass customization would first need to determine whether or not their existing manufacturing system could accommodate frequent changes to the make-up of a product. Machinery, resources, and staff training should all be considerations.
2. If the proper resources are in place and mass customization can be incorporated to add profitability, one of the first steps to incorporate this system is to develop the necessary software.
3. In order to create mass customization most manufacturers turn to computers to be able to gather the requirements of the customer and to include existing resources to make a plan for production.
4. With a system in place that can make small alterations such as this, other steps to be taken include instigating new quality control measures, training of employees, and evaluating the effectiveness of the mass customization system.

Some points to keep this in mind when you are considering incorporating mass customization in to your existing system:

Not all manufacturing businesses can incorporate mass customization and still maintain profitable business practices. Sometimes the effort and labor required for mass customization will exceed the price that the customer is willing to spend on the product. In this case customization to satisfy the needs of individuals does not make sense. Technology is also a big indicator of whether or not the manufacturing system of mass customization is right for you. Computer programs that aid in the making of minor adjustments to suit the needs of the individual customers are almost essential in the mass customization process. The use of computers eliminates the need for specific labor and costs can be saved and passed on to the consumer.

It is also important to realize that there are significant differences between mass customization and mass production. Although these two different systems of manufacturing are often grouped together they are very different. Mass customization involves the altering of a product that can be produced with the use of existing materials and processes. Mass production often involves the use of assembly line production. Assembly line production is not designed to handle changes or alterations. Although it is not entirely impossible to incorporate both mass customization and mass production, the costs associated with doing so are generally higher than the consumer would be willing to pay.

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