IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/proeco/v249y2022ics0925527322001104.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Developing separate or integrated configurators? A longitudinal case study

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Linda L.
  • Shafiee, Sara

Abstract

Configurators have the potential to revolutionize the business processes of Engineering-to-order (ETO) companies. Despite their positive impacts on ETO companies' operations and strategies, there is a paucity of empirical investigations examining the development processes and practices of configurators, in particular integrated configurators. We, thus, carry out a longitudinal case study in a large ETO company to study and compare the characteristics and dynamics of the development process of an integrated sales and technical (ST) configurator with these of a sales configurator and a technical configurator. First, the findings uncover the nature of the integrated ST configurator development process in terms of development team formation, development planning activities, processes and activities that went wrong, and unplanned events and their handling. Second, performance evaluation with respect to several criteria contributes to a holistic picture of the development process of the integrated ST configurator. Based on the findings, we further shed light on managerial implications including the business process changes associated with the application of the integrated ST configurator and the need of having a clear, comprehensive project plan before development. To conclude, our study is expected to broaden ETO companies’ understanding of the development processes of integrated configurators and to guide them to make wise decisions in developing configurators.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Linda L. & Shafiee, Sara, 2022. "Developing separate or integrated configurators? A longitudinal case study," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:249:y:2022:i:c:s0925527322001104
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2022.108517
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925527322001104
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijpe.2022.108517?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Min & Zhao, Xiande & Qi, Yinan, 2014. "The effects of organizational flatness, coordination, and product modularity on mass customization capability," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 145-155.
    2. L. Zhang & C.K.M. Lee & Q. Xu, 2010. "Towards product customization: An integrated order fulfillment system," Post-Print hal-00798983, HAL.
    3. Salvador, F. & Forza, C., 2004. "Configuring products to address the customization-responsiveness squeeze: A survey of management issues and opportunities," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 273-291, October.
    4. Sandrin, Enrico & Trentin, Alessio & Forza, Cipriano, 2018. "Leveraging high-involvement practices to develop mass customization capability: A contingent configurational perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 335-345.
    5. Lars Hvam & Katrin Kristjansdottir & Sara Shafiee & Niels Henrik Mortensen & Zaza Nadja Lee Herbert-Hansen, 2019. "The impact of applying product-modelling techniques in configurator projects," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(14), pages 4435-4450, July.
    6. Cameron, N. S. & Braiden, P. M., 2004. "Using business process re-engineering for the development of production efficiency in companies making engineered to order products," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 261-273, June.
    7. Trentin, Alessio & Perin, Elisa & Forza, Cipriano, 2012. "Product configurator impact on product quality," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 850-859.
    8. Lars Hvam & Niels Henrik Mortensen & Jesper Riis, 2008. "Product Customization," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-540-71449-1, December.
    9. L. Zhang & Élise Vareilles & Michel Aldanondo, 2013. "Generic bill of functions, materials and operations for SAP2 configuration," Post-Print hal-00846451, HAL.
    10. Forza, Cipriano & Salvador, Fabrizio, 2002. "Managing for variety in the order acquisition and fulfilment process: The contribution of product configuration systems," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 87-98, March.
    11. Yue Wang & Xiang Li & Linda Zhang & Daniel Mo, 2021. "Configuring products with natural language: a simple yet effective approach based on text embeddings and multilayer perceptron," Post-Print hal-03604042, HAL.
    12. Hicks, C. & McGovern, T. & Earl, C. F., 2000. "Supply chain management: A strategic issue in engineer to order manufacturing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 179-190, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Linda Zhang & Carman K.M. Lee & Pervaiz Akhtar, 2020. "Towards customization: Evaluation of integrated sales, product, and production configuration," Post-Print hal-03276827, HAL.
    2. Zhang, Linda L. & Lee, Carman K.M. & Akhtar, Pervaiz, 2020. "Towards customization: Evaluation of integrated sales, product, and production configuration," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    3. Trentin, Alessio & Perin, Elisa & Forza, Cipriano, 2012. "Product configurator impact on product quality," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 850-859.
    4. Gosling, Jonathan & Naim, Mohamed M., 2009. "Engineer-to-order supply chain management: A literature review and research agenda," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 741-754, December.
    5. Na Liu & Pui-Sze Chow & Hongshan Zhao, 2020. "Challenges and critical successful factors for apparel mass customization operations: recent development and case study," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 291(1), pages 531-563, August.
    6. Pai Zheng & Xun Xu & Chun-Hsien Chen, 2020. "A data-driven cyber-physical approach for personalised smart, connected product co-development in a cloud-based environment," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 3-18, January.
    7. Cannas, Violetta G. & Gosling, Jonathan & Pero, Margherita & Rossi, Tommaso, 2020. "Determinants for order-fulfilment strategies in engineer-to-order companies: Insights from the machinery industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    8. Lin, Shunzhi & Lin, Jiabao, 2023. "How organizations leverage digital technology to develop customization and enhance customer relationship performance: An empirical investigation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    9. Nikolaus Kangas & Hanna Kropsu-Vehkapera & Harri Haapasalo & Tuomo Kinnunen, 2013. "Empirical Aspects on Defining Product Data for Rapid Productisation," International Journal of Synergy and Research, ToKnowPress, vol. 2(2), pages 109-130.
    10. Bhamra, Ran & Hicks, Christian & Small, Adrian & García-Villarreal, Enrique, 2022. "Value, product delivery strategies and operational performance in the medical technology industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    11. repec:tkp:ijsrsy:v:2:y:2012:i:2:p:109-130 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Uskonen, Jukka & Tenhiälä, Antti, 2012. "The price of responsiveness: Cost analysis of change orders in make-to-order manufacturing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(1), pages 420-429.
    13. Brun, Alessandro & Zorzini, Marta, 2009. "Evaluation of product customization strategies through modularization and postponement," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(1), pages 205-220, July.
    14. Li, Xiaohong & Yang, Dong & Hu, Mengqi, 2018. "A scenario-based stochastic programming approach for the product configuration problem under uncertainties and carbon emission regulations," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 126-146.
    15. Cannas, Violetta G. & Gosling, Jonathan & Pero, Margherita & Rossi, Tommaso, 2019. "Engineering and production decoupling configurations: An empirical study in the machinery industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 173-189.
    16. Cannas, Violetta Giada & Gosling, Jonathan, 2021. "A decade of engineering-to-order (2010–2020): Progress and emerging themes," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    17. Keeheon Lee, 2021. "A Systematic Review on Social Sustainability of Artificial Intelligence in Product Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-29, March.
    18. Lyons, Andrew Charles & Um, Juneho & Sharifi, Hossein, 2020. "Product variety, customisation and business process performance: A mixed-methods approach to understanding their relationships," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    19. Sandrin, Enrico & Trentin, Alessio & Forza, Cipriano, 2018. "Leveraging high-involvement practices to develop mass customization capability: A contingent configurational perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 335-345.
    20. Minzhe Yi & Zihao Huang & Yuxiang Yu, 2022. "Creating a Sustainable E-Commerce Environment: The Impact of Product Configurator Interaction Design on Consumer Personalized Customization Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-23, November.
    21. Liu, Weihua & Wang, Qian & Mao, Qiaomei & Wang, Shuqing & Zhu, Donglei, 2015. "A scheduling model of logistics service supply chain based on the mass customization service and uncertainty of FLSP’s operation time," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 189-215.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:249:y:2022:i:c:s0925527322001104. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpe .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.