Development of an electronic configure-to-order platform for customized product development

Next generation manufacturing calls for mass customization of product fulfillment encompassing global and networked enterprises. This paper reports the development of an electronic configure-to-order platform for customized product development over the Internet. It aims to integrate different Web-based services across companies, as well as various lifecycle issues of product fulfillment, into a collaborative web of interactive commerce. A generic product family (GPF) master model is proposed to support product customization over the Internet while achieving a synergy of sales force automation, product design, manufacturing planning, and supply chain management within a coherent framework. Implementation of the configure-to-order platform is discussed in detail with a particular application to injection-molded parts.