Nowadays, many companies are shaped by customer-driven markets, shorter innovation cycles and increasingly rapid technological leaps. Mass customising companies are especially facing the challenge of providing greater variety at low cost in order to remain competitive within a turbulent technological and economical environment.
According to this, many mass customising companies are searching for new solutions in terms of strategic and operational management which correspond with the changed requirements of mass customisation. This implies an innovative strategic alignment to offer an above-average added value that gives an extra edge to the company. Moreover, greater performance within the concept of mass customisation requires the efficient design and effective handling of supplier-buyer interfaces to respond quickly to customer needs while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Hence accurate planning and monitoring of interfaces is necessary to ensure greater performance due to well-functioning interfaces.
In addition to a quick and successful strategic alignment to address faster-changing customer requirements and properly designed interfaces, mass customising companies have to provide innovative technologies and solutions in order to enhance business performance and to accelerate customer responsiveness. This refers especially to the implementation of flexible manufacturing systems to facilitate product changeovers in order to provide greater variety at reasonable cost. Hence innovative and highly-sophisticated production technologies are becoming much more important to fulfil customer-specific needs while ensuring cost-effectiveness.
Moreover, innovative information systems facilitate a more flexible and effective handling of tailored processes and customer enquiries to deal with the increasing need for customised products. Web-based technologies are therefore becoming more important in providing a greater number of customising possibilities within a short period of time.
Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas in relation to mass customisation:
- New strategic issues
- New information systems
- New innovative interfaces
- New manufacturing concepts
- Innovative production technologies
- Supply chain innovations
- Innovations in managing supplier-buyer relationships
- Innovations in performance measurement
- Innovative concepts for human resource management
Abstract submission: 30 April, 2011
Notification of acceptance: 31 May, 2011
Full paper submission: 31 August, 2011
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