Product Information Management for Mass Customization Connecting Customer, Front-office and Back-office for Fast and Efficient Customization

Those who have successfully managed product information for mass customization carefully avoid disclosing how these esoteric systems work in practice. This is the first book to provide a holistic recognition of the essential aspects of an IT-supported product configuration system. In doing so, it reveals the basic building blocks of these systems, how they support mass customization, how these systems are selected and implemented, what alternative options there are, and lastly, what the operational and strategic implications of these systems are.

CIPRIANO FORZA is Professor of Operations Management and General Management at Padova University, and Teacher of Research Methodology at the European Institute of Advanced Studies in Management, Italy. FABRIZIO SALVADOR is Professor of Operations Management at the Instituto de Empresa Business School, Spain, where he teachesOperations Managment, Supply Chain Management and Mass Customization.

Product Configuration: A New Approach to More Efficient Product Customization * Configuration Process and Configurable Products * Traditional Approaches to Configuration * Configuration Systems Architecture * Commercial Product Modelling * Technical Product Modelling * Other Product Models * Configurators and Management Information Systems * Selecting a Product Configurator * Implementing a Configuration System * A Comprehensive View: The Sideco Case Study * Configurational Approach: Aligning Product, Processes and Organization Systems
Product Configuration: A New Approach to More Efficient Product Customization * Configuration Process and Configurable Products * Traditional Approaches to Configuration * Configuration Systems Architecture * Commercial Product Modelling * Technical Product Modelling * Other Product Models * Configurators and Management Information Systems * Selecting a Product Configurator * Implementing a Configuration System * A Comprehensive View: The Sideco Case Study * Configurational Approach: Aligning Product, Processes and Organization Systems