Concurrent design for mass customization

Mass customization aims at satisfying individual customer needs while keeping mass production efficiency. This paper discusses the employment of concurrent engineering for realizing mass customization. Concurrent design for mass customization (CDFMC) is put forward by extending the traditional boundaries of product design to encompass a larger scope spanning from sales and marketing to distribution and services. In addition, CDFMC advocates designing product families instead of individual products. The paper develops a concept of product family architecture (PFA) to support CDFMC via assisting different functional departments within a manufacturing enterprise to work together cohesively. The rationality of CDFMC lies in synchronizing market positioning, soliciting customer requirements, increasing commonality in product designs, and enhancing manufacturing scale of economy.