Approaches to mass customization: configurations and empirical validation

Mass customization is a paradox-breaking manufacturing reality that combine s the unique products of craft manufacturing with the cost-efficient manufa cturing methods of mass production. Although this phenomenon is known to ex ist in practice, academic research has not adequately investigated this new form of competition. In this research, we develop a configurational model for classifying mass customizers based on customer involvement in design an d product modularity. We validate this typology through an empirical analys is and classification of 126 mass customizers. We also explore manufacturin g systems and performance implications of the various mass customization co nfigurations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.