Proposal of Load Leveling Model for Implementing Mass Customization in Automobile Industry

Abstract

Along with the diversification of customers' demand, there is an urgent need for a business model to realize the mass customization in automobile industry. When the volume and quantity of orders from customers is changing dynamically, it is difficult for a maker to realize both productivity and a variety of customers' specification by itself. So, we propose a new collaboration between the maker and supplier in a supply chain structure about "load leveling" to supplier. Firstly, we describe a framework about the cost structure in accordance with "load leveling" to the supplier and estimate the increased cost. Specially, we formulate the volume about load leveling and the maker's increased cost. Next, we derive the total increased cost estimator in the supply chain and analyze it. Finally, we get the optimal load leveling with minimum increased cost and get some information about designing the supply chain structure between the maker and supplier to realize mass customization.

Colaboraçao No Design Para a Customização Em Massa: Situação E Perspectivas

“…Já, o artigo de Matsumoto et al (2006), aborda a colaboração na CM no âmbito da otimização total do processo. Os autores afirmam que a CM é um processo pelo qual são produzidos pequenos lotes de peças ou produtos individualizados que proporcionam a cada cliente algo individual de acordo com suas necessidades específicas.…”