Title: Mass customisation and IT influence on Brazilian health industries' competitiveness

Authors: Heitor Luiz Murat De Meirelles Quintella, Jaci Tadeu O. Carvalho

Addresses: Department of Production Engineering, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Rua Passo da Patria, 156, Sala 309, Sao Domingos, Niteroi – RJ – CEP: 24.210–240, Brazil. ' Department of Production Engineering, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Rua Passo da Patria, 156, Sala 309, Sao Domingos, Niteroi – RJ – CEP: 24.210–240, Brazil

Abstract: This article analyses the competitiveness of Brazilian medical products and pharmaceutical industries based on the strategic implementation of Information Technology (IT). The model of competitiveness developed by Boynton et al. (1993) – Dynamic Stability and the assessment of IT presence in Porter and Millar|s (1985) Value Chain – are the theoretical references of this study. A field research was carried out simultaneously at the Marketing and IT departments of 14 Brazilian plants. Its main goals were to assess how those plants are reacting to the change of the competition pattern, to identify the customisation usage as a competitive differential, and last but not least, to ensure an intensified flow of computer resources. A comparative analysis of data obtained in different field research done in the USA and Brazil also illustrates the viewpoints.

Keywords: mass customisation; dynamic stabilisation; information technology; product-process engineering; strategic alignment; Brazil; health industries; competitiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMASSC.2007.012817

International Journal of Mass Customisation, 2007 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.128 - 138

Published online: 16 Mar 2007 *

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