TY - GEN
T1 - Can the SME Successfully Adopt Mass Customization?
AU - Boer, Henrike Engele Elisabeth
AU - Nielsen, Kjeld
AU - Brunø, Thomas Ditlev
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - The mass customization (MC) literature has, so far, primarily focused on how large enterprises successfully can achieve mass customization, neglecting the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Since SMEs constitute a major part of the global economy, this paper has the purpose to examine whether differences between large enterprises and SMEs influence the appropriateness of MC and manner in which SMEs can implement MC. Based on data from a large international survey, it concludes that the large enterprise and SME largely experience the same environmental conditions, and therefore asserts that both types of firms could utilize MC to attain a competitive edge in their environments and cope with fluctuations. It also finds that SMEs have persistently implemented MC-enabling practices to a lower degree when compared to large enterprises. Given their limited resources, this finding implies that SMEs have to choose among an excess of practices if they want to pursue MC. This paper suggest three potential starting points, that is, SMEs could start their MC journey with the standardization of the product portfolio, with the investment in and assimilation of advanced manufacturing technologies or through the creation of an organization geared towards continuous improvement.
AB - The mass customization (MC) literature has, so far, primarily focused on how large enterprises successfully can achieve mass customization, neglecting the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Since SMEs constitute a major part of the global economy, this paper has the purpose to examine whether differences between large enterprises and SMEs influence the appropriateness of MC and manner in which SMEs can implement MC. Based on data from a large international survey, it concludes that the large enterprise and SME largely experience the same environmental conditions, and therefore asserts that both types of firms could utilize MC to attain a competitive edge in their environments and cope with fluctuations. It also finds that SMEs have persistently implemented MC-enabling practices to a lower degree when compared to large enterprises. Given their limited resources, this finding implies that SMEs have to choose among an excess of practices if they want to pursue MC. This paper suggest three potential starting points, that is, SMEs could start their MC journey with the standardization of the product portfolio, with the investment in and assimilation of advanced manufacturing technologies or through the creation of an organization geared towards continuous improvement.
KW - Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
KW - Mass Customization
KW - Survey Research
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-77556-2_33
DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-77556-2_33
M3 - Article in proceeding
SN - 978-3-319-77555-5
T3 - Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics
SP - 531
EP - 549
BT - Customization 4.0
PB - Springer
T2 - 9th World Mass Customization & Personalization Conference (MCPC 2017)
Y2 - 20 November 2017 through 21 November 2017
ER -