The potential for achieving mass customization in primary production supply chains via a unified taxonomy

Develops a theoretical taxonomy that can be used by management to strategically assess their current capabilities and identify areas of change to move towards a mass customization environment. Although many of the components have been previously published, this paper brings them together as a unified whole. The classification is applied to case study supply chains with a focus upon the primary producer. These are illustrated through process maps. By adopting a mass customization approach, these companies could generate competitive advantages. However, this is difficult for them to achieve in the dynamic production environment often advocated for mass customization. A more stable, supply-chain-based approach is needed. With this in mind, we use vendor-managed inventory to demonstrate the application of the taxonomy. This provides greater flexibility in the logistics system to deliver mass customization. The paper concludes that only by using a unified taxonomy can management get a full understanding of the challenges faced in implementing mass customization and the solution does not necessarily require purely a production-based response.