Situation

 

• Profitable ceramics materials manufacturer had fallen behind in technology
• Company interested in determining whether to compete through technology or business model
• Desired to evaluate mass customization as a competitive business model strategy to reestablish business as a leader in the industry

 

Actions Taken

 

• Assembled and led cross-functional, director-level team to develop and evaluate potential of breakthrough mass customization concepts
• Applied “Customer Value Model” to estimate customer benefits
• Forecast impact on organizational skills, manufacturing strategy, and capital plans.  Identified risks
• Created business and development plan for next stage

Results

 

• A significant investment for mass customization was approved by the executive leadership team