Single users' affective responses models for product form design

This paper presents a neural network based approach to modeling consumers' affective responses for product form design. A theoretical framework for a single user's perception is developed. On the basis of this theoretical framework, a mathematical model which enables single users' responses to different products to be predicted was developed. The results obtained show that the mathematical models developed achieved highly accurate predictions. For the purpose of obtaining a global model various individual mathematical models were created, which were based on the opinions of users representing different groups of opinion. The results suggest that, under some conditions, the combined use of various models of individual users can perform as well as a single model generated on the basis of mean market responses.Diego-Mas, JA.; Alcaide Marzal, J. (2016). Single users' affective responses models for product form design. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 53:102-114. doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2015.11.005S1021145

Product, process and customer preference alignment in prefabricated house building

Much of the extant literature exploits the customer order decoupling point (CODP) from an aggregate product level. We develop a systematic approach to determine the alignment of CODP configurations at product, category and component levels, with customer preferences in terms of their customisation requirements. We adopt a participatory research method incorporating focus groups and interviews with personnel from a German case study company that builds prefabricated houses. From this we determine the product architecture. We also undertake a customer preference survey utilising a questionnaire that is based on a paired comparison technique. The survey informs customer preferences for choice for various elements of the architecture. We find that while at the product level the company produces a house that as a whole offers a high degree of customisation, at a category or components levels there are various offerings from pure standardisation to pure customisation. Furthermore, there is not always alignment between what customers want and what is actually being offered by the customer. So the company has options in terms of reconfiguring its operations, design new products/categories/components and/or seeking new marketplace opportunities. While the research has developed a technique that determines the extent to which the CODP positioning for a product architecture is aligned against customer preferences, there is a need for further research to test our findings beyond a single case study and into other industry sector contexts

A servitização nas cafeterias independentes do Brasil : a percepção em relação aos serviços dos fornecedores de café.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronegócios, 2020.A cadeia do mercado de café tem sofrido transformações em função das mudanças do comportamento do consumidor. Por esse motivo os processos de produção de café também têm sofrido transformações, visando atender as exigências do consumidor com objetivo de ofertar um produto de qualidade. Tendo em vista esse fato, verificou-se que o número de empresas agregando valor através de serviços aos seus negócios vem aumentando cada vez mais. Na busca pela competitividade, permanência no mercado e a confiança em seus serviços prestados, elas vêm criando ideias inovadoras de forma estratégica para alcançar seus objetivos. O processo de agregar valor por meio dos serviços é denominado de servitização. A literatura referente a essa temática voltada para a relação fornecedor e consumidor ainda é muito escassa. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar e caracterizar os serviços recebidos pelas cafeterias de cafés especiais por parte de seus fornecedores de cafés. Para compreender se os fornecedores estão configurados no campo da servitização, foram selecionadas cafeterias independentes de Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Vitória. Por meio de um questionário on-line foram coletadas informações referentes aos serviços ofertados pelos fornecedores de cafés, serviços que as cafeterias esperam que sejam ofertados e serviços ofertados classificados segundo o nível de servitização. Identificou-se que as informações referentes aos cafés não tem correlação com o nível de servitização, ou seja, ela se enquadra somente como uma informação e não um serviço prestado. Não existe diferenciação de serviços básicos e avançados nas ofertas dos serviços do fornecedores de cafés. Foi verificado que a indústria de cafés especiais estão em transição e que parte dos serviços são ofertados por fornecedores de cafés e parte dos serviços que se espera não são ofertados. Desta forma os processos dos fornecedores de cafés ainda estão orientados aos produtos.The coffee market chain has undergone changes due to changes in consumer behavior. For this reason, coffee production processes have also undergone transformations, aiming to meet consumer demands in order to offer a quality product. In view of this fact, it was found that the number of companies adding value through services to their businesses has been increasing more and more. In the search for competitiveness, permanence in the market and confidence in their services, they have been strategically creating innovative ideas to achieve their goals. The process of adding value through services is called servitization. The literature on this topic focused on the supplier and consumer relationship is still very scarce. Thus, the objective of this work was to identify and characterize the services received by specialty coffee cafeterias from their coffee suppliers. To understand whether suppliers are configured in the field of servitization, independent coffee shops from Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vitória were selected. Through an online questionnaire, information was collected regarding services offered by coffee suppliers, services that coffee shops expect to be offered and services offered classified according to the level of servitization. It was identified that the information related to coffees has no correlation with the level of servitization, that is, it fits only as information and not a service provided. There is no differentiation between basic and advanced services in the service offerings of coffee suppliers. It was found that the specialty coffee industry is in transition and that part of the services are offered by coffee suppliers and part of the expected services are not offered. In this way, the processes of the coffee suppliers are still product oriented

Skall - skal ikke?

Der utviklers leveranser av leiligheter ikke samsvarer med kjøpers preferanser, kan unødvendig dobbeltarbeid oppstå. Bolig er et svært komplekst produkt med en produktarkitektur og tilhørende verdikjede som oppstiller en rekke valgmuligheter. Produkt- og verdikjedekonfigurasjon bør baseres på kjøpers preferanser for å oppnå kundetilfredshet. Kjøpers preferanser beror på individualitet, og er i sin helhet subjektivt. Imøtekommelse av kjøpers preferanser er av den grunn utfordrende og innebærer risiko for utvikler. Ytterligere et aspekt som gjør imøtekommelse desto vanskeligere er dagens rigide lovverk som begrenser utviklers mulighetsrom. Boligmassen er tilsynelatende homogen, mens boligkjøpers preferanser er heterogene. Det er paradoksalt. Skallkonseptet som oppgaven foreslår er et motsvar til ovennevnte. Skalleiligheter vil potensielt redusere omfanget av unødvendig dobbeltarbeid som kjøper foretar i nyoppførte leiligheter, herunder hvilke muligheter og hindringer konseptet oppstiller. Oppgaven har til hensikt å undersøke om det eksisterer etterspørsel etter skalleiligheter på et overordnet nivå. Knyttet opp mot utvikler aspekt, undersøker oppgaven om et konsept med skall er kommersielt lønnsomt for utvikler, og hvordan skall vil påvirke utviklers risiko. Avslutningsvis undersøkes hvilke hindringer dagens lovverk oppstiller, samt hvordan lovverket kan tilpasses skall på en mer hensiktsmessig måte. Datainnsamlingen er foretatt ved hjelp av litteraturstudie, en spørreundersøkelse rettet mot boligkjøpere, samt semistrukturerte dybdeintervjuer med aktører fra bransjen. Studien avdekker at boligkjøpere etterspør større grad av individualitet ved utforming av egen bolig. Skall muliggjør nettopp dette ved å tilby et betydelig større mulighetsrom for tilpasning, sammenlignet med nøkkelferdige leiligheter. Det underbygger videre at det eksisterer en etterspørsel etter skall. Denne etterspørselen er relevant sett opp mot utviklers mål om lønnsomhet. Studien antyder videre at skall potensielt vil være svært fordelaktig for utvikler i form av redusert produksjon- og markedsrisiko. Dagens rigide lovverk vanskeliggjør derimot eksperimentell boligutvikling. Lovverket må anses som den største hindringen til at skallkonsept ikke har fått gjennomslag i Norge. Konseptet krever enkelte lovendringer for å realiseres, herunder en moderasjon av lovverket omkring ferdigattest, og en innstramming av lovverket omkring garanti. Implementering av konseptet fordrer trolig at enkelte solide utviklere går frem som foregangsaktører, for å utfordre dagens nokså tradisjonelle bransje. Studien konkluderer med at skall kan bidra til å redusere omfanget av unødvendig dobbeltarbeid, og at det kan være lønnsomt for utvikler. Lovendring eller ei, har avhandlingen vist at økt fokus på kundeinvolvering er et viktig moment ved fremtidens boligutvikling.Where the developer's delivery of apartments does not match the buyer's preferences, unnecessary duplicate work may arise. Housing is a highly complex product with a product architecture and associated value chain that presents a range of choices. Product and value chain configuration should be based on the buyer's preferences to achieve customer satisfaction. Buyer preferences depend on individuality and are entirely subjective. Meeting buyer preferences is therefore challenging and involves risk for the developer. Another aspect that makes accommodation even more difficult is today's rigid legislation that limits the developer's room for maneuvering. Physical buildings tend to be homogeneous, while customer demands are heterogeneous. It is paradoxical. The shell concept proposed in the thesis is a response to the above. Shell apartments will potentially reduce the scope of unnecessary duplicate work that buyers carry out in newly constructed apartments, including the opportunities and obstacles that the concept presents. The thesis aims to investigate whether there is a demand for shell apartments at an overall level. Linked to the developer aspect, the thesis examines whether a concept with shell is commercially profitable for the developer, and how shell will affect the developer's risk. Finally, the thesis examines what obstacles current legislation poses and how legislation can be adapted to shell more appropriately. Data collection was conducted through a literature study, a survey aimed at home buyers, and semi-structured in-depth interviews with industry actors. The study reveals that home buyers demand a greater degree of individuality in the design of their own homes. Shell enables this precisely by offering a significantly greater range of customization options compared to turnkey apartments. It further supports that there is a demand for shell. This demand is relevant in relation to the developer's goal of profitability. The study also suggests that shell could potentially be highly advantageous for the developer in terms of reduced production and market risk. However, today's rigid legislation complicates experimental housing development. The legislation must be considered the biggest obstacle to the shell concept not gaining traction in Norway. The concept requires some legislative changes to be realized, including a moderation of the legislation on completion certificates and a tightening of the legislation on guarantees. Implementation of the concept likely requires some solid developers to act as pioneers, challenging today's somewhat traditional industry. The study concludes that shell can help reduce the scope of unnecessary duplicate work and that it can be profitable for the developer. Regardless of legislative changes, the thesis has shown that increased focus on customer involvement is an important factor in future housing development

Aligning product and processes to customer needs in prefabricated house building

Given the impact of increasing customer choice on operations, this thesis clarifies the role of customer preferences and its impact on the operations of a company in the house building industry. In doing so, an empirical investigation into customer choice requirements is offered and a framework that helps to align customer preferences with the product and processes is presented. A prioritisation of components is provided which ultimately helps to design houses that meet buyer requirements. Furthermore a method is presented that helps in prioritising problem areas. This study is built on two empirical pillars and the evidence drawn from these sources. First, on the basis of a case study a view of the house as a system of components and sub-components has been developed. This resulted in the set-up of a product architecture in which the Customer Order Decoupling Point (CODP) could be positioned. Second, a preference measurement task applying a pairwise comparison questionnaire was conducted so as to define the level of choice expected by customers for the components. An important outcome of the survey was to identify how customers actually prioritise categories and components in a prefabricated housing design. Combining the results of these two research exercises helps in making the correct decisions about the level of variety to offer. The generalisability of the findings is limited. However, the process of conducting the case study as well as the preference measurement is generalisable in research that concentrates on products with a complex product architecture. The framework can thus be adopted by practitioners manufacturing multi-attribute products seeking to pursue a mass customisation strategy. This research contributes by highlighting the importance of integrating process and product development in order to design a value chain that meets customer needs