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.

Abstract English Abstract From small hospitals to large medical centers, the Taiwan healthcare organizations today are unable to significantly increase investments or generate more revenue due to the strict regulations of current National Health Insurance and Global Budget policies. This predicament is further complicated by the healthcare system¡¦s inability to change from its traditional mass production architecture and mentality. Mass customization (MC) and focused factories (FF) are being applied across many industries with great success ¡V achieving quality at low cost. These are new concepts that can bring significant customer value, allowing organizations¡¦ quality and profitability to improve from increasingly commoditized businesses. This consumer-centric transformation can be one way for Taiwan¡¦s healthcare organizations to get closer to patients¡¦ needs and step out of the traditional confines of the NHI and healthcare delivery. These novel ideas are so akin to the healthcare ideal, yet the traditional healthcare design and Taiwan¡¦s anti-market healthcare policies effectively impedes changes and progress in this direction. This paper intends to assert that MC and FF can be one effective solution to the problems in Taiwan¡¦s healthcare organizations ¡V specifically for the specialty community hospitals. In this way, these small hospitals can capture the value premiums of this new consumerism trend and transform itself into a competitive business, creating higher values for life and health for its customers. This paper will begin with an in-depth background and SWOT analysis of the Taiwan healthcare system and its participants. After an understanding of this industry, a pertinent literature review of the MC and FF concepts and mechanics will be done. A case comparison study of three specialty healthcare organizations will be done to evaluate their differences in competitive strategy, marketing orientation, operational effectiveness, human resources advantage, and organizational performance. The three organizations include a traditional specialty hospital (Gee-Tien Ear Nose & Throat Hospital), a single procedure-based focus factory (Shouldice Hospital), and a disease management focus factory (MedCath Corporation). Finally, a full discussion will ensue to assess the applicability of FF and MC concepts for specialty community hospitals in the Taiwan healthcare market. Keywords: Specialty Hospitals, Mass Customization, Focused Factory, Taiwan Healthcare

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.

Mass customization (MC) constitutes a promising strategy for companies which aim to provide products which are better adapted to individual customers' aesthetic and functional preferences. Drawing on commodity theory, we argue that the perceived uniqueness of a self-designed product is a second driver of utility in MC. We find that in addition to the significant effect of aesthetic and functional fit, the perceived uniqueness of a self-designed product (1) contributes independently to the utility a customer experiences, and (2) that this effect is moderated by the consumer's need for uniqueness. In product categories which can serve this counterconformity motive for onsumers, this suggests that MC toolkits should be constructed with the objective of facilitating the creation of unique products as well as providing affirmative feedback that this uniqueness has been achieved. (authors' abstract)

Mass customization is becoming a competitive strategy for companies offering individualized products. Product configurators provide a platform for companies to do interactive product configuration which is essential for mass customization. Companies need to realize the degree of customization appreciated by the customers and the extent of customization that can be offered competitively. This research is an effort to develop an approach to ascertain the product configurator requirements to achieve mass customization. The frameworks developed for this research are validated with a case study.

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