Product modelling for simulating business networks offering mass customization

In the past decade, mass customization has shown to be one of the effective business models in developed economies. Key success factors include modularization and standardization of product platforms, production postponement strategies, and customer interaction. A major challenge is how to implement the success factors and design a suitable business network. One approach is to simulate the performance of a business network with the input of detailed mass customization orders. This paper presents a simulation-based methodology to configure a mass customization network. The contribution of the paper focuses on the approach to create product models that include personalization details, the generation of demand profiles, and the creation of generic process routings for mass customized products. The paper uses examples from the golf club industry to illustrate the methodology. © IFAC

tiphys an open networked platform for higher education on industry 4 0

Abstract Objective of Tiphys project is building an Open Networked Platform for the learning of Industry 4.0 themes. The project will create a Virtual Reality (VR) platform, where users will be able to design and create a VR based environment for training and simulating industrial processes but they will be able to study and select among a set of models in order to standardize the learning and physical processes as a virtual representation of the real industrial world and the required interactions so that to acquire learning and training capabilities. The models will be structured in a modular approach to promote the integration in the existing mechanisms as well as for future necessary adaptations. The students will be able to co-create their learning track and the learning contents by collaborative working in a dynamic environment. The paper presents the development and validation of the learning model, built on CONALI learning ontology. The concepts of the ontology will be detailed and the platform functions will be demonstrated on selected use cases

Unlocking value from machines: business models and the industrial internet of things

In this article we argue that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) offers new opportunities and harbors threats that companies are not able to address with existing business models. Entrepreneurship and Transaction Cost Theories are used to explore the conditions for designing nonownership business models for the emerging IIoT with its implications for sharing uncertain opportunities and downsides, and for transforming these uncertainties into business opportunities. Nonownership contracts are introduced as the basis for business model design and are proposed as an architecture for the productive sharing of uncertainties in IIoT manufacturing networks. The following three main types of IIoT-enabled business models were identified: (1) Provision of manufacturing assets, maintenance and repair, and their operation, (2) innovative information and analytical services that help manufacturing (e.g., based on artificial intelligence, big data, and analytics), and (3) new services targeted at end-users (e.g., offering efficient customization by integrating end-users into the manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem)

Investigating the feasibility of supply chain-centric business models in 3D chocolate printing: a simulation study

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Science Direct via the DOI in this record.3D chocolate printing provides the technology for manufacturing chocolates layer-by-layer, thus offering customers enhanced product value and personalized consumption experience. As business models in the chocolate industry are closely associated with the profitability of the supply chain constituents, it seems appropriate to investigate the financial viability of these supply-chain centric business models prior to their introduction in the real world. In this paper we present two business models pertaining to the supply chain for 3D printed chocolates; we evaluate the financial viability of these innovative models through the use of computer modelling and simulation. The study is based on the commercialization efforts of a UK based 3D chocolate printing technology provider (Choc Edge). The results of the study indicate that 1) the retailer dominant supply chain model is a potentially disruptive business model innovations that are enabled by the 3D food printing technology, and as such, may pose a challenge to traditional high end chocolate products; 2) the manufacturer dominant model helps manufacturers gain more profits while retailer profits tend to be stagnant.We would like to thank the financial support of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and the Bridging the gap of EPSRC in the UK and Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation of Ministry of Education in China (Grant number: 14YJC630130)

The development of a novel standardisation-customisation continuum

Published work on product-oriented customisation lacks clarity in establishing how it is characterised, how it is bounded, and how one would define increasing levels of customisation. This paper describes the development of a standardisation-customisation (S-C) continuum which consists of 13 distinct intervals, starting with “standardisation”, or absence of customisation and ending with “evolution customisation”, or absence of standardisation. Each interval is defined using nine characteristics that collectively define the boundaries of the intervals within the continuum. Analysis using a randomly selected sample of products from a range of industries has demonstrated the continuum’s capability for distinguishing the associated level of S-C. Furthermore, no industry investigated develops products at each level of S-C, however, when combined all industries do. The number of possible levels of S-C tends to depend on the product’s complexity and number of components. The continuum framework clarifies the concept of customisation, provides a scale for determining the product’s customisation and supports the analysis of markets and industries against S-C

Exploring Pharmaceutical Mass Customization

The core purpose of therapeutic pharmaceutical products is to induce responses to various diseases in patients and thereby bring societal value; however, unmet medical needs currently prevail. Conventional treatment of these products predominantly embraces a one-size-fits-all design and is manufactured in a mass-production context. A mass-production context is driven by economies of scale, however, a one-size-fits-all product design challenges the satisfaction of individual patient needs. Pharmaceutical product customization thus aims to satisfy individuals’ treatment needs and thereby improve their therapeutic outcome; however, this implies a high product variety and low-volume production environment which challenges the cost-effective production with current mass-production platforms.To address this challenge of achieving the cost-effective production of customized pharmaceutical products, this thesis explores a unified approach to cost-effective design, manufacturing and supply of customized pharmaceutical products. For this purpose, the mass customization principles of product modularization, process flexibility and postponement are adopted and adapted in a pharmaceutical production context.This thesis proposes methodologies to design and model customized pharmaceutical products and production systems in a unified manner. Furthermore, customized product designs are proposed using product modularization as a design strategy and reconfigured pharmaceutical supply chain (SC) archetypes using postponement as a strategy for the cost-effective design, manufacturing and supply. The findings suggest that an increased degree of modularization in the pharmaceutical product increases the patient benefit and thus improves therapeutic patient outcomes. In addition, current mass production platforms do not display the process flexibility required for the cost-effective production of customized pharmaceutical products. Moreover, with an increased degree of postponement, opportunities for reduced production costs in the SC emerge. Finally, the cost-effective customization of pharmaceutical products requires an integrated approach of product modularization and postponement. While modeling the production system, this thesis, however, considers an SC from the manufacturer to the pharmacy and patient assessing contemporary cost-effectiveness. Future research directions should investigate societal consequences from a wider, spatial and temporal, health care system perspective

USER-ORIENTED CLOUD SERVICE DESIGN BASED ON MARKET RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

For the IT industry, cloud computing has a disruptive effect, since it fundamentally changes how IT resources are produced, distributed, consumed, and priced. Designing cloud services remains a challenge, as the markets are very dynamic and cloud users are heterogeneous, locally distributed and not within the reach of the organization. This research-in-progress paper suggests the use of market research techniques, namely conjoint analysis, in the requirements elicitation process for cloud services. The contribution is a method component that extends existing requirements engineering methods. It supports cloud service providers in addressing specific questions of cloud service design: to analyse user preferences and the many trade-offs between different functional, non-functional and economic properties, to identify customer segments and develop tailored offerings, to analyse willingness-to-pay for specific features and to simulate market reactions of new designs