TY  - JOUR
U1  - Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
A1  - Grafmüller, Leontin Karl
A1  - Hankammer, Stephan
A1  - Hönigsberg, Sarah
A1  - Wache, Hendrik
T1  - Developing complex, mass-customized products in SME networks
BT  - perspectives from co-creation, solution space development, and information system design
JF  - International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management
N2  - Already for nearly three decades, Mass Customization (MC) has been described as a viable business model for companies in diverse sectors. Nonetheless, the introduction and the successful operation of an MC approach is a challenging endeavor for companies of all sizes. In this article, special attention is given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which increasingly collaborate in networks to successfully develop complex, mass-customized products. While collaboration allows for pooling several areas of expertise, the cross-organizational development poses challenges in manifold regards. To study these challenges, we set up a network business process model developed with four SMEs from the German high-tech textile industry. Based on the current literature on capabilities for MC, we evaluate the challenges of MC in SME networks detected in our network business process model to underpin the need for further research. In our study, we detail the conceptual analysis of such network-based scenarios along our process model for three focal areas: (1) co-creation, (2) solution space development, and (3) information system design. We construe the need for further research and derive implications for both academia and practice. Keywords: complexity, co-creation, information system design, new product development, SME, solution space
KW  - Complexity
KW  - Co-creation
KW  - Information system design
KW  - New product development
KW  - SME
KW  - Solution space
Y1  - 2018
SN  - 22172661
SS  - 22172661
U6  - https://doi.org/10.24867/IJIEM-2018-4-215
DO  - https://doi.org/10.24867/IJIEM-2018-4-215
VL  - 9
SP  - 215
EP  - 227
ER  -