B2C Mass Customization in the Classroom

The purpose of this article is to describe an internet-based mass customization assignment in Operations Management/Supply Chain Management classes where students utilize the Web site of a company that offers a customized product. Students evaluate the user interface, judge the value proposition of the product they demonstrate, and discuss issues of product design, process design and scheduling, inventory management, Supply Chain Management, marketing, and competitors. The students learn about mass customization from both the producer\u27s perspective and the consumer\u27s perspective. Through their own research and the class presentations students are able to develop a better understanding of the implementation requirements and challenges of mass customization. The assignment is highly interactive and has been successfully used in Operations Management and Supply Chain Management courses at under-graduate and graduate levels and at multiple universities. In addition, practitioners interested in implementing a mass customization process can use the assignment as a brainstorming or benchmarking exercise

Does Mass Customization Enable Sustainability in the Fashion Industry?

Fashion industry evolves today as one of the largest yet among the top of the most polluted industries in the world. Fashion has become cheap and affordable; hence, the consumption has risen to an unsustainable level. Water and energy consumption, hazardous chemical usage, resource depletion, and waste generation are among the key environmental impacts created by the fashion industry. To foster the sustainability in the fashion industry, development of new business models that minimize the environmental damage is urged. This chapter reviews the possibility of a mass customization strategy to become a sustainable business model in the fashion industry. Seven key elements that could possibly enhance sustainability are discussed, and it is concluded that further advancement of technologies and growing consumer desires to purchase sustainable products will make mass customization a viable sustainable business model

"I wanted the best": Perceived value of a customized athletic clothing

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence the perceived value of custom-made athletic clothing product at a product, experience, and brand level. Perceived value was examined in the context of a case company offering customized clothing products specially for trotting sport. Three models formed the theoretical framework of this study: FEA consumer needs model (Lamb & Kallal 1992), Consumer Perceived Value Tool (Merle & al. 2010), and Measures defining brand loyalty (Vera & Trujillo 2017). According to these models, the value factors of a customized clothing product are explained by functional, expressive, and aesthetic considerations added with the hedonic and creative achievement value derived from the design process. The brand-related value factors were identified by using the dimensions of consumer involvement, perceived brand value, and satisfaction (Vera & Trujillo 2017). Semi-structured personal theme interviews were used as a primary data source for this study. The sample consisted of trotting professionals and sales representatives, total of 11 persons from Sweden and from Finland. The findings of this study show that the sources of value are based on product-related and brand-related factors and are generated both before and after the purchase. As a result, a customized athletic clothing product value model was proposed. On the product level, aesthetic, expressive, functional, and experience factors influence the perceived value. On the brand level, satisfaction, brand value, and customer involvement impact on the perceived value of customized clothing product. The research results confirmed the prior academic understanding that the sources of value are multidimensional and subjective in nature. The results of the study showed that in the context of trotting sport the sports tradition, the rules placed by sports federations, and the involvement of personal sponsors limit the freedom of self-expression in the customization process which can potentially limit the generalization of the results. However, the data indicated that it was important for the athletes to have the possibility to influence the clothing design and take part in the design process. Overall product satisfaction and the supplier's ability to create trust became essential factors in determining the continuity of the customer relationship. The trust built with the supplier on previous customer encounters lowered the perceived risk associated with the purchase decision leading to repurchases and increased brand loyalty. Especially, the service recovery was considered important factor in building trust if the delivered product was not what the athletes expected

The future of manufacturing: A Delphi-based scenario analysis on Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is expected to impart profound changes to the configuration of manufacturing companies with regards to what their value proposition will be and how their production network, supplier base and customer interfaces will develop. The literature on the topic is still fragmented; the features of the emerging paradigm appear to be a contested territory among different academic disciplines. This study assumes a value chain perspective to analyze the evolutionary trajectories of manufacturing companies. We developed a Delphi-based scenario analysis involving 76 experts from academia and practice. The results highlight the most common expectations as well as controversial issues in terms of emerging business models, size, barriers to entry, vertical integration, rent distribution, and geographical location of activities. Eight scenarios provide a concise outlook on the range of possible futures. These scenarios are based on four main drivers which stem from the experts\u2019 comments: demand characteristics, transparency of data among value chain participants, maturity of additive manufacturing and advanced robotics, and penetration of smart products. Researchers can derive from our study a series of hypotheses and opportunities for future research on Industry 4.0. Managers and policymakers can leverage the scenarios in long-term strategic planning

Fashion Industry

Fashion is a lot more than providing an answer to primary needs. It is a way of communication, of distinction, of proclaiming a unique taste and expressing the belonging to a group. Sometimes to an exclusive group. Currently, the fashion industry is moving towards hyperspace, to a multidimensional world that is springing from the integration of smart textiles and wearable technologies. It is far beyond aesthetics. New properties of smart textiles let designers experiment with astonishing forms and expressions. There are also surprising contrasts and challenges: a new life for natural fibers, sustainable fabrics and dyeing techniques, rediscovered by eco-fashion, and "artificial apparel," made of wearable electronic components. How is this revolution affecting the strategies of the fashion industry

Websites Vs. Apps: A Comparison of Consumer Acceptance of Apparel Mass-Customization Across Channels

After 20 years of industrial practice, consumers now can shop for mass-customized apparel in various channels including websites and smart device applications (apps). Online apparel mass-customization (OAMC), which provides platforms and convenience for customers to communicate with retailers effectively, provides retailers with a growing opportunity in today’s evolving omni-channel environment. Meanwhile, product value and experiential value delivered to consumers will help increase customer satisfaction and lower the return rate. However, little is known about consumers’ beliefs, attitudes, and purchase intentions of mass-customized apparels when using different channels. Two studies were intended to fill the research gap. Study 1 is an exploratory, qualitative study with a focus on analyzing feedback from consumers who have had real experiences of purchasing online mass-customized apparel. Study 2 presents a comprehensive attempt to examine the factors that impact consumers’ attitude toward using OAMC and the willingness to purchase online mass-customized apparel (through an experiment) with the technology acceptance model applied as a theoretical foundation. An online self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect participants’ responses including OAMC evaluations of usefulness, enjoyment, ease of use, choice variety, risks, attitude, and willingness to purchase after practicing OAMC in the experiment. A total of 388 responses were collected from a southeastern University in the United States. Factor analyses were conducted to test and confirm the measurement model with results showing that the reliability and validities were well achieved. Hypothesized relationships and moderating effects were tested using a structural equation modeling approach. Research results indicated that the proposed hypotheses were partially supported. A positive attitude predicted willingness to purchase. Ease of use, enjoyment, and choice variety significantly influenced customers’ attitude. Usefulness and risks did not influence attitude in this research model. The moderation effects of online mass-customization channels, consumers’ level of fashion involvement, and consumers’ need for uniqueness were tested separately through multi-group comparisons. The results showed that there was no significant difference among consumers with different levels of fashion involvement, or different levels of need for uniqueness, or consumers who shop online mass-customized apparel in different channels. Theoretical and practical implications were provided based on research findings

Identifying the Influences of Psychological Factors on Fashion Customization

As environmental concerns have been increasing and fashion market condition has been fierce and competitive ever before due to consumers’ ever-changing fashion tastes, customization has received growing attention considering as a solution to overcome those challenges. Despite the numerous attention, research on customization has been limited to only issues from business viewpoints whereas studies from consumers’ standpoints are little. The purpose of the study was to examine how consumers’ psychological properties (i.e., self- promotion, need for uniqueness, self-expression, social identity, self-monitoring, and other-directedness) affect buying intention of customized apparel products mediated by perceptions of customization and extended-self. To achieve the purpose of the study, the online survey was conducted (N = 338), and Structural Equation Model(SEM) was utilized to assess the psychological factors’ causal effects on purchase intention of customized apparel products. The results show that in the pre-purchase stage, among the six psychological factors, need for uniqueness has the most significant effect on both mediating factors, perceptions of customization and self-extension. The sense of self-monitoring is also positively associated with the perception of customization but is negatively related with self-extension. However, the effects of self-expression and other-directedness on both mediating factors were negligible. In purchase stage, the strong direct effects were found between perception of customization/ self-extension and purchase intention (β=.44, β=.19 each). The significant causal effects between mediating factors, from self-extension to customization perception, were also identified. The results of the study provide valuable insights about consumers’ psychological process when purchasing customized apparel products. The findings also contribute to the fashion literature on the understanding of consumers’ pre-/purchase behaviors in a psychological manner. Enhanced understanding of consumers’ psychological buying decision process will be beneficial for retailers and managers to develop criteria for target segments and to establish marketing plans to increase sales of customized apparel products

Industry 4.0 and the future of manufacturing. Theoretical base and empirical analyses

A new industrial revolution \u2013 also called \u201cIndustry 4.0\u201d \u2013 is unfolding fueled by the introduction of broadly interconnected digital technologies, including the Internet of Things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing. Many industries are witnessing the entrance of new players integrating new technologies into disruptive business models; incumbents are also urged to rethink how they operate against trends that are expected to further accelerate in the current pandemic situation. The overarching aim of the research presented in this doctoral dissertation is to investigate to what extent Industry 4.0 represents a fundamental challenge to existing paradigms and requires researchers to modify their theoretical frameworks to approach emerging issues. With this in mind, each chapter can be seen as a step forward in journey whereby some core issues come progressively into focus. The starting point is a conceptual work analyzing the phenomenon \u2013 \u201cIndustry 4.0\u201d and similar labels \u2013 and its underlying technological and non-technological components. As a second step \u2013 under the assumption of Industry 4.0 having paradigmatic properties comparable to previous industrial revolutions \u2013 potential new configurations of manufacturing value chains are investigated. Through a future-oriented expert study, eight scenarios are conceived identifying critical drivers to value chain configurations. Finally, one of these critical drivers \u2013 data sharing in inter-organizational relationships \uac\u2013 is investigated through the development of a multiple case study analysis in the automotive sector. The contribution of this dissertation to the academic debate is at least twofold. On the one hand, the research highlights the cornerstones of the phenomenon to make sense of its overarching features and building elements. This contributes to lay solid theoretical foundations needed to advance the understanding in the field. On the other hand, my empirical investigations suggest that several barriers counterbalance the technological drivers for change, posing significant questions as for when and how the future of manufacturing will materialize. Overall, an approach focused on understanding how technologies influence the assumptions behind the current reasoning might lead at a synthesis between \u201cold\u201d and \u201cnew\u201d elements in the Industry 4.0 phenomenon

Co-design and mass customization in the Portuguese footwear cluster: an exploratory study

In the present, consumers tend to be more knowledgeable and interventive, requiring an active role in the way how they relate to brands and products. To meet this need, several sectors of the fashion industry saw this as a market opportunity and adopted approaches of Collaborative Design and Mass Customization. The footwear sector was not indifferent to this new paradigm of creation, production, distribution, and consumption, and several worldwide brands adopted innovative strategies. In Portugal, despite footwear being a mature industry with a strong tradition and worldwide recognition, it is necessary to continuously invest in innovation-based competitiveness, exploring the opportunities of Industry 4.0. Thus, the study seeks to analyse this important sector of the Portuguese economy, in order to perceive the acceptance, vision, and expectations regarding the approaches of Co-design and Mass Customization. In this way, seven companies with national relevance were studied based on a questionnaire survey. Findings show the industry's interest in Co-design and customization, despite the concern about the effort and risk associated to the transition and implementation of the productive approach. Relevant data for the development of collaborative models of footwear customization are gathered in this study.This work is supported by Project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T – Centre for Textile Science and Technology, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES and by FAMEST Project (projeto de IDT em co-promoção mobilizador n. 24529, 2017-2020)