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Mass customization as a solution for the service industry
Harmsel, Maarten ter (2012) Mass customization as a solution for the service industry.
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| Abstract: | This research integrates insights from the dominantly goods focused literature on mass customization with the increased importance of the service industry by fulfilling the need for a more systematic approach in the analysis of mass customization in a service setting. Over the last few years, limited research is conducted on mass customization applied to the service industry. We present a revised framework based on the work of Bask, Lipponen, Rajahonka & Tinnilä (2011), which allows for measuring mass customization on service offerings. Modularity and mass customization are presented as independent variables, based on an indepth literature analysis and a case study analysis. Results of this study show that this framework is suitable for the service industry setting. Different service offerings, being a service process at a bank, Software as a Service (SaaS) and the configuration of cars (Citroën DS-series) are scaled successfully along the developed revised 5x5 framework. By re-scaling the framework of Bask et al. (2011), this research diminishes the existing research gap of mass customized services, since the framework is no longer based solely on qualitative assumptions but also on quantitative variables. For managers this framework is a rather helpful tool to evaluate the strategic use of mass customization in offering their services to customers, and gives them great insights in the mass customization capability of their organization. This research has a limited scope, since is focuses only on the service offerings perspective and the results are based on three case studies. Future research should therefore concentrate on the validation of the results we found for the revised framework, by expanding the sample of service offerings. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 85 business administration, organizational science |
| Programme: | Business Administration MSc (60644) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/61644 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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