Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business Competition

The mass production of standardized goods was the source of America's economic strength for generations and became the model for successful industries. Today, that model is a major cause of the nation's declining competitiveness. As Joe Pine makes clear, innovative companies are embracing a new paradigm of management - mass customization - that allows them to create greater variety and customization in their products and services at competitive prices, or better. He explains mass customization in its historical context, demonstrates why mass production cannot work in turbulent industries, and outlines how new forms of competition have led to greater variety and customization. Based upon academic and field research, his work is a thoughtful analysis and commentary on when and how managers in both service and manufacturing industries can make the transition to mass customization. He details the strategies, methods, and organizational transformations required to develop, produce, market, and deliver individually customized goods and services, and shows managers how to analyze their own industries to determine if they should shift to mass customization. …