Unfolding the Complexity of Mass Customization: A Socio-technical Perspective

Mass customization (MC) is a complex and versatile concept the implementation of which has proven oftentimes ambiguous. In this paper we argue that this ambiguity is a consequence of complex socio-technical systems to which MC companies belong, and which in turn determine the scope and the implementation of MC projects in practice. Among others, socio-technical systems (e.g. platforms) impact the choice of MC enablers. At the early stages of this exploratory study we try to set the theoretical foundation for general platform thinking in the MC context. At the beginning of this positioning paper, we provide a glimpse of the MC complexity through general analysis of relationships product platforms have with other MC enablers. However, instead of looking at the platforms from the traditional MC product perspective, we adopt a socio-technical systems viewpoint. We present different levels of platform approaches, finishing with the platform ecosystems approach.