mass customization

Mass customization is a strategic concept that combines two opposing positions, that of mass production and that of customer-specific customization.

In mass customization, the customer has the opportunity to vary certain features, such as the design of the product, and thus to personalize it for him. This involves given product components that, when put together in a modular fashion, represent a new individual overall product concept.

The strategy approach has already been used in the automotive sector at an early stage and, with the help of the Internet, has achieved an even larger application base. The customer can assemble the various building blocks on the Internet with the help of a configurator. In the apparel sector, for example, Nike enables its customers to put together sports shoes with individual design and performance features using the NikeID mass customization concept. Users of mass customization benefit, among other things, from greater loyalty from their customers because they are part of the development process. They also realize higher prices, since for their customers the products are incomparable with other competitive offers.