Title: Achieving mass customisation through servicification

Authors: Erik Sundin, Mattias Lindahl, Mica Comstock, Tomohiko Sakao, Yoshiki Shimomura

Addresses: Department of Management and Engineering, Linkoping University, SE-58381, Linkoping, Sweden. ' Department of Management and Engineering, Linkoping University, SE-58381, Linkoping, Sweden. ' Department of Management and Engineering, Linkoping University, SE-58381, Linkoping, Sweden. ' Department of Management and Engineering, Linkoping University, SE-58381, Linkoping, Sweden. ' Department of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Asahigaoka 6-6, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191-0065, Japan

Abstract: Manufacturing companies face many challenges today, one of these is how to successfully meet increasingly diverse customer needs. This could be achieved through customisation. This paper elucidates how mass customization could be enabled by companies adding more services to their customized products. This |servicification| of products is made available by integrated product service engineering. This paper also describes how products and services can be developed in coherence through an integrated product service engineering approach. Furthermore, a software supporting this approach along with customisation named Service Explorer is described. This paper presents a case study of a forklift truck manufacturer called Toyota Material Handling Group (TMHG). TMHG customise their product/service offerings and by doing so they can offer its customers increased value than only selling standard forklift trucks. TMHG has managed to create successful customised offerings for its customers. However, with a more integrated development, TMHG could become even more successful.

Keywords: product service systems; PSS; life cycle management; LCM; integrated product service engineering; service explorer; manufacturing; servicification; mass customisation; products; services; product integration; service integration; forklift truck manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMS.2009.031340

International Journal of Internet Manufacturing and Services, 2009 Vol.2 No.1, pp.56 - 75

Published online: 31 Jan 2010 *

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