"Customer Satisfaction is a Continuous Process which does not begin or end witha purchase".Slogans of “Quality" can be viewed all around the corners of factories, whichhas emerged as the managerial imperative from the past decade. But Qualityfailures, rejections & cancellations are still apparent. Therefore, we shouldinvestigate and prepare an action plan to experience the real achievementthrough producing quality products, to “Delight our Customers".The Author of this study has recognized the extent of misunderstanding, missmanagement of production process and Quality Systems and did select specificresearch methods in order to satisfy the aim of the investigation. Moreover, Authorhas selected one of Swedish based retailer namely Tailor Store AB, companywhich is very successful in web base mass customization.After analyzing the company Author has published a Quality handbook for theTailor Store AB. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen magister

The trend in todays manufacturing industry is changing from mass production to mass customization. The companies which win the markets are those which can deliver highly customized products at the fastest rate and allow for life-cycle participation of customers regardless of where they are and when they participate. One of the strategies for implementing the mass customization paradigm is to implement the product development according to the assemble-to-order (ATO) pattern. Under the ATO pattern, the design of a product becomes the determination of a configuration which contains a set of pre-developed components configuration design for short. The configuration design problem can be well treated as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The mature methods are available for CSP, but there are several limitations with CSP for configuration design. This thesis proposes a novel approach to configuration design. This approach is based on a CSP but adds a wrapper (product data model, PDM for short) over the CSP model. Consequently, both the customer and the other life cycle development programs only communicate with the PDM, and a more intelligent and user-friendly computer system for configuration design can then be implemented. Both the conceptual design and implementation of such a wrapper are discussed in this thesis. A computer prototype system for elevator design is developed for demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

Our aim is to answer whether or not 3D printing is capable of achieving mass customization and mass production, since answering this might help predict a shift within manufacturing industries and the use that this technology has had the past years. Further, our aim is to give an overall view of the industry of companies offering 3D printed goods for end use through an e-commerce marketplace and its value creating activities. The overall aim is to contribute to fill the academic gap regarding research on 3D printing within the field of mass customization and provide groundwork for future research. To provide the current picture of the industry and thus analyze its capabilities regarding mass production and mass customization, we present the value chain with the involved value creating activities. We have conducted three qualitative interviews to three out of four companies within the industry complemented as well with an exhaustive research to the websites of the companies.

The trend in todays manufacturing industry is changing from mass production to mass customization. The companies which win the markets are those which can deliver highly customized products at the fastest rate and allow for life-cycle participation of customers regardless of where they are and when they participate. One of the strategies for implementing the mass customization paradigm is to implement the product development according to the assemble-to-order (ATO) pattern. Under the ATO pattern, the design of a product becomes the determination of a configuration which contains a set of pre-developed components configuration design for short. The configuration design problem can be well treated as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The mature methods are available for CSP, but there are several limitations with CSP for configuration design. This thesis proposes a novel approach to configuration design. This approach is based on a CSP but adds a wrapper (product data model, PDM for short) over the CSP model. Consequently, both the customer and the other life cycle development programs only communicate with the PDM, and a more intelligent and user-friendly computer system for configuration design can then be implemented. Both the conceptual design and implementation of such a wrapper are discussed in this thesis. A computer prototype system for elevator design is developed for demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

Product proliferation is a common challenge for firms providing customized products. To cope with this challenge, firms usually incorporate strategies such as component commonality, postponement, and/or delayed differentiation in their supply chains. In this dissertation, we study the effectiveness of these strategies. First, we evaluate the inventory costs for various percentages of common component substitution. Second, we analyze the performance of two postponement strategies and their relationship with product proliferation. Third, we study the cost and benefits of implementing delayed differentiation in a make-to-order environment and provide insights for managers choosing where along the supply chain they should differentiate their products.

Beginning with the study of type, house typologies, manufactured houses, and structure classification, this thesis proposes the design and fabrication of a hybrid structural insulated panel (SIP) and laminated-stud (Lam) framing system developed using contemporary three-dimensional modeling techniques and digital production methodology. Included within are prototypes, assembly diagrams, and structural tests of the proposed Cannoli Framing System (CFS) as well as three speculative Turnstijl houses whose systematic variation demonstrates the flexibility and scalability of the proposed system. In essence, this is the design of a framing typology capable of structural and formal variability to a degree that has previously been neither feasible nor affordable.

Eine zunehmende Individualisierung der Gesellschaft und die daraus resultierende Veränderung der Kundenansprüche wirken sich zwangsläufig auch auf die Produktion und die Vermarktung von Unternehmen aus. Die Autorin setzt sich mit einer besonderen Strategie auseinander, mit der Unternehmen versuchen, der zunehmenden Individualisierung von Kundenwünschen gerecht zu werden: mit der Mass Customization. Inwieweit sich die Mass Customization tatsächlich dazu eignet, individuelle Kundenwünsche zu befriedigen und in welchem Maße sie von Kunden akzeptiert wird, untersucht die Autorin am Beispiel kundenindividueller Turnschuhe.

Minicell-based manufacturing system is used in identifying best minicell designs. The existing method of minicell design generates best minicell designs by designing and scheduling minicells simultaneously. While in this research designing of minicells and scheduling of jobs in minicells is done separately. This research evaluates the effectiveness of hierarchical approach and compares with simultaneous method. Minicell designs with respect to average flow times and machine capacities and both are identified in a multi-stage flow shop environment. Rules for the extraction of good minicell designs in mass customization manufacturing systems are also established.

Minicells are small manufacturing cells dedicated to an option family and organized in a multi-stage configuration for mass customization manufacturing. Product variants, depending on the customization requirements of each customer, are routed through the minicells as necessary. For successful mass customization, customized products must be manufactured at low cost and with short turn around time. Effective scheduling of jobs to be processed in minicells is essential to quickly deliver customized products. In this research, a genetic algorithm based approach is developed to schedule jobs in a minicell configuration by considering it as a multi-stage flow shop. A new crossover strategy is used in the genetic algorithm to obtain a minimum flow time schedule.

Zugl.: Bochum, Univ., Diss., 2007