Mass Customisation

New Product Technologies

At the heart of these linked systems is an Enterprise Repository (or metabase). At a minimum this defines the product types, rates, features and options. It can also define all the associated marketing information such as promotional material, distribution outlets, servicing arrangements, etc.. Customers could, for example, review recent promotions, find additional information, learn about product or service features, do what-ifs, design their own product, and then buy it! (click diagram to enlarge).

Various technologies will play their part:
 

• Interactive mediums such as the Internet, interactive TV, kiosks, voice mail, personal data assist, etc., allow customers to interact with the design system - and at a time and a place that suits them.
• The design and production systems will in many cases be based on flexible component based systems. The components provide the various product or service features, such as a choice of payment method. The Enterprise repository is supported by rules based systems to ensure that only products that meet regulatory requirements, good financial practice, business requirements, etc. are designed. The component based systems are likely to be implemented with object technology systems though some systems simply use databases and tables.
• A shared customer information system records individual purchases so that staff and agents can service these unique products at a later date. Additionally, with some products, the design specification can be embedded within the product and then made accessible to distributors, automated agents or diagnostic software. The customer information system will also record "soft" data about customers, for example, their ambitions, likes and dislikes. This information can then be analysed with data mining tools that seek to identify new products or services, new customers, or unsatisfied or unrecognised needs.

Next is New Organisational Thinking

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