Session:

Information Systems for Mass Customization (ISMC 2004)
Monday March 01, 2004, 12.00 – 12.25

Session Chair:

Claus Rautenstrauch

Paper Title:

A Multi-Channel Interaction Platform for Mass Customization – Concept and Empirical Investigation’

Author(s):

R. Reichwald, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, Germany
F. Piller, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, Germany
M. Mueller, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, Germany

Abstract:

Mass customization requires a process of co-design between each single customer and the supplier. Therefore, the interaction and configuration platform that enables users to design the desired product is crucial. Despite the fact that all known mass customization systems are at least to some extent IT-based, configuration has not to be limited to pure online interaction systems. In the past years multi-channel interaction platforms emerged, combining online and offline configuration systems as well as electronic and personal interaction. The main characteristic of such platforms is that the mass customizer offers different ways and possibilities for interaction and configuration. The customers themselves decide which channel they want to use according to individual preferences, e.g. product knowledge or configuration experience. There are three main scenarios which are imaginable from the customer’s point of view: a pure offline interaction system, a mixed strategy combining online and offline orders, and pure online interaction. The objectives of this paper are threefold: (i) to discuss the options of implementing multi-channel interaction systems, (ii) to formulate important questions of research deriving from these options, and (iii) to present the layout of an empirical research project aiming to explore customer interaction on such a multi-channel interaction platform in larger detail. In this research, main fields of interest are process patterns of user interaction, user satisfaction, perceived risk as well as value of individualization.

Acknowledgments: This research is based on two research grants, which support is gratefully appreciated. The European Community’s 5th Framework project “EuroShoe” provided support for the foundation of this research. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) provided support within the project “EwoMacs” for the empirical study presented in this paper.