Expert Consensus on Modular Design and Product Configuration for Mass Customization in Regulated Manufacturing SMEs

Mass customization is widely recognized as a strategic lever enabling manufacturing firms to respond to increasing diversity in customer needs. However, its operationalization remains particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially in regulatory environments characterized by stringent compliance requirements affecting product design, configuration, and commercialization. Although the literature identifies product modular design and product configuration as key enablers of mass customization, their applicability and limitations in such contexts remain insufficiently documented. This article aims to structure and qualify, through expert consensus, the concepts associated with product modular design and product configuration within regulatory contexts relevant to manufacturing SMEs. To this end, a Delphi–Régnier study was conducted with experts from manufacturing, academic, and consulting backgrounds. Two rounds of questionnaires assessed levels of agreement on propositions derived from the literature, complemented by qualitative feedback. The results reveal differentiated levels of convergence across the concepts examined and highlight regulation as a central factor influencing their scope and application. This study contributes to the literature by providing a consensus-based structuring of these concepts and identifying key conditions for their implementation in manufacturing SMEs.