Although mass production is still widely used in traditional manufacturing industries, the advent of new technology coupled with the explosive growth of consumer information has led to changes in consumer behavior.
Mass production has enjoyed industry popularity since the early 20th century. However, a new consumerist philosophy is taking shape in the 21st century. This philosophy is based on catering to the preferences of the individual customer as well as niche customer groups rather than large, conventional customer bases.
Originally visualized by Stanley M. Davis in his book Future Perfect, mass customization has now caught the attention of a broad section of American industry. There are many reasons that more and more manufacturers are jumping on the mass-customization bandwagon. Mass production has generally led to saturation of similar goods in various markets. Faced with the fast-changing preferences of better-informed consumers, more and more companies are discovering that the traditional practice of marketing products to a large consumer base is not always effective.
The advantage of adapting to mass customization is that one can discover the preferences of a targeted group and adopt a production system that suits their needs. With this strategy in mind, many American firms have outsourced their basic functions to keep costs low and are adapting their products to customer requirements. This also gives them opportunities to get to know their customers on a more familiar level. Many American firms have already started identifying customer types and have begun to create varieties of products that cater to consumers.
There are many potential benefits of adapting to mass customization. Tailoring products to individual needs can create niche markets while maintaining competitive prices. However, the concept of mass customization works best when the prices of customized products remain competitive compared to the prices of mass-produced goods. Further, it is essential to maintain an optimum product output for the designated market segment. This concept is significantly different from the concepts governing mass production.
Low prices appeal to a large, homogenous market. However, the potential pitfall for mass customization is failure to keep prices low while maintaining product appeal in the targeted population for which the product was originally developed.
This is indeed a challenge for the modern engineer. Traditionally trained engineers will need to move away from mass-producing environments and adapt to a situation in which more and more firms are leaning toward mass customization. As rapidly changing consumer behavior leads to more innovations in mass customization, more and more organizations will adopt mass-customization systems in the days to come.
