Product Customization

verfasst von: Lars Hvam, Niels Henrik Mortensen, Jesper Riis

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

For the majority of industrial companies, customizing products and services is among the most critical means to deliver true customer value and achieve superior competitive advantage. The challenge is not to customize products and services in itself – but to do it in a profitable way. The implementation of a product configuration system is among the most powerful ways of achieving this in practice, offering a reduction of the lead time for products and quotations, faster and more qualified responses to customer inquiries, fewer transfers of responsibility and fewer specification mistakes, a reduction of the resources spent for the specification of customized products, and the possibility of optimizing the products according to customer demands.

This book presents an operational procedure for the design of product configuration systems in industrial companies, based on the experience gained from more than 40 product configuration projects in companies providing customer tailored products and services.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

Many companies are currently experiencing increasing demands from their customers for the delivery of customized products that have almost the same delivery time, price and quality as mass-produced products. One way this development is described is by the concept of mass customization — a production form in which customized products are delivered which exploit the advantages of mass production.

2. Specification Processes and Product Configuration

Abstract

Two of the central principles of mass customization are that product ranges should be developed on the basis of modules, and that configuration systems should be used to support the tasks involved in the customer- oriented business processes related to the specification of customerspecific products.

3. The Procedure

Abstract

This chapter gives a presentation of the overall procedure for creating, implementing and operating configuration systems. The individual phases in the procedure are described in more detail in the following chapters.

4. Development of Specification Processes

Abstract

This chapter presents a proposal for how to develop a company’s specification processes and define/set the scope of the configuration system(s) which are to support the individual specification processes.

5. Analysis of the Product Range

Abstract

One of the big challenges in building up a configuration system is to create an overall view of the range of products to be incorporated into the configuration system. A product range is normally created through developing a series of concrete products to suit different customer needs. In this way, a product range is created gradually over a number of years, as a result of input from different customers.

6. Object-Oriented Modelling

Abstract

We start this chapter with a short introduction to the object-oriented way of thinking. Then, we describe the basic concepts and the associated terminology in the object-oriented paradigm. The chapter is based on books about object-oriented modelling by Agida, Bellin, Booch, Coad and Yourdon, Graham and Rumbaugh. The notation used is taken from Unified Modelling Language (UML). The aim of the chapter is to introduce the basic principles of object-oriented modelling and to describe how these principles can be used when you develop a configuration system.

7. Knowledge Representation and Forms of Reasoning for Expert Systems

Abstract

In this chapter the basic principles for knowledge representation and forms of reasoning in expert systems are described. A description is also given of the relationship between artificial intelligence, knowledge-based systems and expert systems. Commonly occurring characteristics of expert systems are described in detail, after which the relationships between the representation of knowledge in the knowledge base of expert systems and the control of their reasoning are discussed. The purpose is to illustrate various forms of knowledge representation and reasoning in expert systems for use in developing configuration systems. This is relevant for providing insight into and understanding of which software possibilities exist for programming configuration systems.

8. Choosing Configuration Software

Abstract

In this chapter we describe some factors which influence the choice of software for product configuration. We start by describing the concept of “standard software” (or standard systems), and a series of advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of standard solutions are discussed. Then, various forms of programming for use in programming product models are presented, and a series of criteria for selecting software for product configuration are given.

9. Product Configuration at F.L. Smidth

Abstract

This chapter describes how F.L. Smidth A/S has developed a configuration system for general dimensioning of cement factories and working out budgetary offers. After a short introduction to F.L. Smidth A/S, the company’s products, and their project for building up a configuration system, the chapter follows the procedure for developing configuration systems as described in chapter 3.

Backmatter

Titel: Product Customization
verfasst von: Lars Hvam
Niels Henrik Mortensen
Jesper Riis
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-540-71449-1
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-71448-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71449-1