Sessions
Session 23
Configuration and Choice Navigation: Setting up the System
Tuesday Oct 6 2009
13:45-15:05
Mäkipää, Marko (University of Tampere, Finland)
Effect of a sales configurator on sales work – analyzing different sales configurator configurations
In this paper we will evaluate the different alternatives for sales configurator and each alternative’s effect on sales work. We will evaluate sales configurator as a social-technical system, whose optimization requires the combined optimization of the human and computing sub-systems (Forza and Salvador, 2007). We distinguish four levels of configurators: 1) primary, e.g. selecting options from pre-defined lists, 2) constrained sequence, e.g. following a stepwise path in configuration that reduces option alternatives after each step, 3) interactive, e.g. each selection reduces other option alternatives but order of selections is free, and 4) automatic, e.g. instead of directly selecting options of product customer define use-environment characteristics that are automatically transformed to product characteristics. Sales work we analyze as a knowledge process where one of the objectives is to transform customer need to a product configuration (an order). We use Carlile’s integrative framework for managing knowledge across boundaries as a base for analyzing use of different level of configurators in sales work. In the end, we will evaluate pros and cons of each alternative.
Risdiyono,Risdiyono (Universitas Islam Indonesia, Indonesia)
Koomsap, Pisut (Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand)
Crowdscreening: A Natural Selection for Mass Customization
One of the foremost competitive challenges of a mass customization company is how to set a proper solution space. Too many configuration possibilities (variety) can result in increased complexity which may lead to mass confusion. Hence, the success of mass customization company lays on how effective the solution space is specified.This paper proposes a new conceptual strategy adopted from natural selection theory to ensure that the solution space (population) of mass customization will contain only the fittest part variants which meet customer needs. A new term of crowdscreening, means “screening process by the crowd (an undefined and generally large network of people) in the form of an open call” is also derived. Part variants which are frequently selected by the crowd (fit to customers) will be kept in the solution space while the unpopular one will be taken out from the solution space. Hence, the complexity and variety of product can be reduced without sacrificing customer needs.
Krahtov, Konstantin (Open Experience GmbH, Germany)
Flexible Configurator for Production on Demand
Open Experience provides internet-based solutions for generation of highly individualized products. Unlike the current state of the art, where customers can mainly choose an individual configuration from a discrete set of possible options, these services open the way for a new customization approach. Free modelling possibilities ensure the exact specification of the geometries and proceeding operations for the realization of individual ideas and personalization details. Life production-relevant validation and realistic visualization guarantee automatically the correctness of the models. The integration with production control systems makes possible the production on-demand after ordering. Configurators based on this concept are realized for the high segments in the furniture industry as well as for some specific production operators.