Title: Consumer decision quality in mass customisation

Authors: Sri Hartati Kurniawan, Richard H.Y. So, Mitchell M. Tseng

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract: Product configuration is a key enabling process in mass customisation that allows customers to choose their products based on choice of product attributes. Product configuration is significantly different from the traditional process, commonly known as product selection, which focuses on the choice of product alternatives. This paper reports an experimental investigation of differences between product configuration and product selection in terms of consumers| decision quality. The results show that product configuration offers customers greater satisfaction during the process and in the products of their choices than product selection. Interacting factors such as how the product attributes or alternatives are presented and the number of products on offer has also been studied. Results enhance the development of mass customisation enabling technologies.

Keywords: product configuration; product selection; customer decision making; customer satisfaction; mass customisation; decision quality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMASSC.2006.008621

International Journal of Mass Customisation, 2006 Vol.1 No.2/3, pp.176 - 194

Published online: 12 Jan 2006 *

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