Implications from digital servitization and open platforms for mass customization capabilities

Mikko Heiskala

Implications from digital servitization and open platforms for mass customization capabilities

Julkaisun otsikon käännös: Digitaalisen palvelullistumisen ja avoimien alustojen vaikutukset massaräätälöintikyvykkyyksille

Mikko Heiskala

Tuotantotalouden laitos

Tutkimustuotos: Doctoral Thesis › Collection of Articles

Abstrakti

Massaräätälöinti (MC) on ollut keskeinen strategia valmistavan teollisuuden yrityksille tuottaa räätälöityjä tuotteita tehokkaasti. MC:n onnistunut toteutus vaatii yritykseltä erityisiä kyvykkyyksiä: ratkaisukentän kehitystä (SSD), vakaita ja mukautuvia prosesseja (RPD) sekä valikoiman läpikäynnin tukea (CN). Myyntikonfiguraattorit ovat tärkeitä valikoiman läpikäyntiä tukevia tietojärjestelmiä. Digitalisaation edistämät trendit haastavat vallitsevia oletuksia valmistavan teollisuuden MC:n, MC:n vaatimien kyvykkyyksien ja myyntikonfiguraattorien roolin taustalla. Molemmat laventavat MC yritysten tapoja palvella asiakkaitaan. Digitaalisesti palvelullistettuja älykkäitä ratkaisuja voidaan räätälöidä aiempaa jatkuvammin. Yhdistettynä ulkopuolisia toimijoita hyödyntäviin avoimiin alustoihin ratkaisukenttä voi laajentua suuresti. MC-tutkimus on kuitenkin keskittynyt valmistavaan teollisuuteen ja yritysten sisäisten kyvykkyyksien hyödyntämiseen. Emme vielä tiedä riittävästi siitä, millaisia MC-kyvykkyyksiä avoimemman ja jatkuvan räätälöinnin hyödyntäminen vaatii. Tämä väitöskirjan tavoitteena on lisätä ymmärrystä vaikutuksista, joita digitalisaation edistämillä palvelullistumis-, ratkaisuliiketoiminta- ja avointen alustojen -trendeillä on MC:iin. Väitöskirja koostuu neljästä artikkelista ja tiivistelmästä, joka tekee yhteenvedon artikkelien tuloksista. Kolme ensimmäistä artikkelia käsittelevät valikoiman läpikäynnin tukea (CN) ja sitä, kuinka MC palveluita ja ratkaisuja tulisi mallintaa myyntikonfigurointia varten. Artikkelit pohjaavat moniin eri tutkimusalueisiin ja empiirisiin havaintoihin seitsemästä tapausyrityksestä tunnistaakseen ilmiöitä ja käsitteitä mallintamista varten. Niiden tutkimusote on linjassa suunnittelutieteen tutkimuksen (design science research) kanssa. Neljäs artikkeli on käsitteellinen. Se hyödyntää digitaalisen palvelullistumisen ja avoimien alustojen tutkimusta ja tutkii niiden vaikutuksia MC:iin. Tutkimus tekee neljä kontribuutiota. Ensinnäkin se esittelee Four Worlds-käsitemallin MC palvelujen mallintamiseen myyntikonfigurointia varten. Malli laajentaa aiempia fyysisiin tuotteisiin keskittyneitä malleja palveluiden kannalta oleellisilla käsitteillä. Toiseksi tutkimus tunnistaa ilmiöitä, jotka ovat oleellisia MC ratkaisujen myyntikonfiguroinnissa, laventaen fokusta palveluihin keskittyneestä Four Worlds-mallista. Kolmanneksi tutkimus esittelee 2x2 luokittelun MC-tavoille, jonka ulottuvuuksina ovat räätälöinnin kasvava jatkuvuus ja avoimuus. Näkökulmia ei ole juuri käsitelty MC-luokitteluissa ja ne on tunnistettu vasta hiljattain yksittäisissä artikkeleissa. Neljänneksi, tutkimus esittää millaisia vaikutuksia lisääntyvällä jatkuvuudella ja avoimuudella on MC-kyvykkyyksille. Nämä kuvataan propositioina, jotka on kontekstualisoitu luokittelun tunnistamiin MC-tapoihin pohjaten. Aikaisempi tutkimus on harvoin kontekstualisoinut MC-kyvykkyyksiä tällä tavalla, vaikka yrityksen MC-tapa voi vaikuttaa sen vaatimiin kyvykkyyksiin.

Julkaisun otsikon käännös	Digitaalisen palvelullistumisen ja avoimien alustojen vaikutukset massaräätälöintikyvykkyyksille
Alkuperäiskieli	Englanti
Pätevyys	Tohtorintutkinto
Myöntävä instituutio	Aalto-yliopisto
Valvoja/neuvonantaja	Karhu, Kimmo, Vastuuprofessori Rajala, Risto, Ohjaaja
Kustantaja	Aalto University
Painoksen ISBN	978-952-64-2145-2
Sähköinen ISBN	978-952-64-2146-9
Tila	Julkaistu - 2024
OKM-julkaisutyyppi	G5 Artikkeliväitöskirja

Tutkimusalat

massaräätälöinti
digitaalinen palvelullistuminen
avoimet alustat

Pääsy asiakirjaan

http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-64-2146-9

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@phdthesis{cc3b220a3a224e6d9a3e11af8c761e19,

title = "Implications from digital servitization and open platforms for mass customization capabilities",

abstract = "Mass customization (MC) has been a key competitive strategy for manufacturers to deliver individually customized products at near mass production efficiency. For this, MC requires key MC capabilities: solution space development (SSD), robust process design (RPD), and choice navigation (CN). Sales configurators have been important information systems for CN support.However, recent digitalization driven trends of digital servitization and open platforms challenge the assumptions that have underpinned manufacturing MC, MC capabilities, and role of configurators in CN. Both expand the opportunities for MC firms to serve their customers. Digitally servitized solutions or smart products can be customized more continuously. Combined with open platforms, the scope of customization can also be greatly expanded. Yet, existing MC research is geared toward designing and manufacturing MC products with a firm's internal MC capabilities. We do not know how MC firms should amend their MC capabilities to fully benefit from the opportunities for more open and continuous MC digital servitization and open platforms bring. This dissertation addresses this gap. Its objective is to increase the current understanding of the effects of digitalization-driven trends of servitization, move to solutions that combine products and services, and open platforms have on MC. This dissertation comprises four articles and a summary that synthesizes the results. The first three papers address CN support and how mass-customized services and solutions should be modeled for sales configuration. They draw from multiple literature streams and empirical data from seven case companies to identify real-world phenomena and concepts for this purpose. The research approach in them aligns with design science research. The last paper is conceptual. Drawing from literature streams on digital servitization and open platforms, it explores their influences for MC. This study makes four contributions to MC research. First, it presents the Four Worlds Model (4WM) for modeling mass-customized services for sales configuration. The model extends previous physical product-oriented approaches with concepts that are relevant for modeling services. Second, it identifies relevant real-world phenomena for sales configuration of mass-customized solutions, extending the focus of the 4WM. Third, the study presents a 2x2 MC classification scheme that uses continuity and openness of customization as its dimensions, both viewpoints missing from previous MC classifications and only recently identified in isolation within MC research. Fourth, the study reveals implications for MC capabilities from increased continuity and openness of customization. These are presented as propositions that are contextualized regarding specific MC approaches in the classification. Research has rarely contextualized MC capabilities in this manner, but there may be implications that are contingent on the MC approach the MC firm executes.",

keywords = "mass customization, digital servitization, open platforms, massar{\"a}{\"a}t{\"a}l{\"o}inti, digitaalinen palvelullistuminen, avoimet alustat, mass customization, digital servitization, open platforms",

author = "Mikko Heiskala",

year = "2024",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-952-64-2145-2",

series = "Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL THESES",

publisher = "Aalto University",

number = "252",

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school = "Aalto University",

}

TY - BOOK

T1 - Implications from digital servitization and open platforms for mass customization capabilities

AU - Heiskala, Mikko

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Mass customization (MC) has been a key competitive strategy for manufacturers to deliver individually customized products at near mass production efficiency. For this, MC requires key MC capabilities: solution space development (SSD), robust process design (RPD), and choice navigation (CN). Sales configurators have been important information systems for CN support.However, recent digitalization driven trends of digital servitization and open platforms challenge the assumptions that have underpinned manufacturing MC, MC capabilities, and role of configurators in CN. Both expand the opportunities for MC firms to serve their customers. Digitally servitized solutions or smart products can be customized more continuously. Combined with open platforms, the scope of customization can also be greatly expanded. Yet, existing MC research is geared toward designing and manufacturing MC products with a firm's internal MC capabilities. We do not know how MC firms should amend their MC capabilities to fully benefit from the opportunities for more open and continuous MC digital servitization and open platforms bring. This dissertation addresses this gap. Its objective is to increase the current understanding of the effects of digitalization-driven trends of servitization, move to solutions that combine products and services, and open platforms have on MC. This dissertation comprises four articles and a summary that synthesizes the results. The first three papers address CN support and how mass-customized services and solutions should be modeled for sales configuration. They draw from multiple literature streams and empirical data from seven case companies to identify real-world phenomena and concepts for this purpose. The research approach in them aligns with design science research. The last paper is conceptual. Drawing from literature streams on digital servitization and open platforms, it explores their influences for MC. This study makes four contributions to MC research. First, it presents the Four Worlds Model (4WM) for modeling mass-customized services for sales configuration. The model extends previous physical product-oriented approaches with concepts that are relevant for modeling services. Second, it identifies relevant real-world phenomena for sales configuration of mass-customized solutions, extending the focus of the 4WM. Third, the study presents a 2x2 MC classification scheme that uses continuity and openness of customization as its dimensions, both viewpoints missing from previous MC classifications and only recently identified in isolation within MC research. Fourth, the study reveals implications for MC capabilities from increased continuity and openness of customization. These are presented as propositions that are contextualized regarding specific MC approaches in the classification. Research has rarely contextualized MC capabilities in this manner, but there may be implications that are contingent on the MC approach the MC firm executes.

AB - Mass customization (MC) has been a key competitive strategy for manufacturers to deliver individually customized products at near mass production efficiency. For this, MC requires key MC capabilities: solution space development (SSD), robust process design (RPD), and choice navigation (CN). Sales configurators have been important information systems for CN support.However, recent digitalization driven trends of digital servitization and open platforms challenge the assumptions that have underpinned manufacturing MC, MC capabilities, and role of configurators in CN. Both expand the opportunities for MC firms to serve their customers. Digitally servitized solutions or smart products can be customized more continuously. Combined with open platforms, the scope of customization can also be greatly expanded. Yet, existing MC research is geared toward designing and manufacturing MC products with a firm's internal MC capabilities. We do not know how MC firms should amend their MC capabilities to fully benefit from the opportunities for more open and continuous MC digital servitization and open platforms bring. This dissertation addresses this gap. Its objective is to increase the current understanding of the effects of digitalization-driven trends of servitization, move to solutions that combine products and services, and open platforms have on MC. This dissertation comprises four articles and a summary that synthesizes the results. The first three papers address CN support and how mass-customized services and solutions should be modeled for sales configuration. They draw from multiple literature streams and empirical data from seven case companies to identify real-world phenomena and concepts for this purpose. The research approach in them aligns with design science research. The last paper is conceptual. Drawing from literature streams on digital servitization and open platforms, it explores their influences for MC. This study makes four contributions to MC research. First, it presents the Four Worlds Model (4WM) for modeling mass-customized services for sales configuration. The model extends previous physical product-oriented approaches with concepts that are relevant for modeling services. Second, it identifies relevant real-world phenomena for sales configuration of mass-customized solutions, extending the focus of the 4WM. Third, the study presents a 2x2 MC classification scheme that uses continuity and openness of customization as its dimensions, both viewpoints missing from previous MC classifications and only recently identified in isolation within MC research. Fourth, the study reveals implications for MC capabilities from increased continuity and openness of customization. These are presented as propositions that are contextualized regarding specific MC approaches in the classification. Research has rarely contextualized MC capabilities in this manner, but there may be implications that are contingent on the MC approach the MC firm executes.

KW - mass customization

KW - digital servitization

KW - open platforms

KW - massaräätälöinti

KW - digitaalinen palvelullistuminen

KW - avoimet alustat

KW - mass customization

KW - digital servitization

KW - open platforms

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

SN - 978-952-64-2145-2

T3 - Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL THESES

PB - Aalto University

ER -

Implications from digital servitization and open platforms for mass customization capabilities

Abstrakti

Tutkimusalat

Pääsy asiakirjaan

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