Modelling and visualising modular product architectures for mass customisation

Companies following a mass customisation strategy have to observe two prerequisites for success: they have to fulfil a wide variety of customer needs and demands, and to harvest the benefits from economies of scale within their organisation and supply chain. This leads to the situation that the companies are striving for variety from a commercial- and simplicity from a manufacturing one. A conscious structuring of product architectures and/or the use of product platforms can help overcome this challenge. This paper presents a new method for the synthesis and visualisation of product architecture concepts that puts emphasis on variety in markets while also treating the consequences in the manufacturing set-up. The work is based on the assumption that a graphical overview of a given solution space and relations between market demands, product architecture and manufacturing layout can support decision making and constitute a very powerful interaction between stakeholders in product development departments striving for mass customisation.