“Do consumers want to design unique products on the internet? A ...

cus<strong>to</strong>misation” (Lampel & Mintzberg 1996) strategy is not applicable for this industry
due <strong>to</strong> technological challenges and the realization that <strong>consumers</strong> <strong>want</strong> choice and
involvement but not “eighty-seven different types of steering wheel” (Lampel &
Mintzberg 1996). It’s worth noting how here the car industry has in VBTO adopting a
system which offers a trade-off, allowing cus<strong>to</strong>mer involvement and utilising
telecommunications technology <strong>to</strong> overcome manufacturing difficulties. Finding an
appropriate trade-off in this manner will feature throughout this thesis.
2.4 Mass Cus<strong>to</strong>misation & the Virtual Community.
In recent times there has been a resurgence of interest in MC. As previously mentioned
Piller & Tseng (2003) estimate that of the 2700 plus English language articles on MC
60% have been published since 2001. This renewed interest it is suggested is because of
the introduction of new technologies in particular the Internet, which is widely cited as
the key enabler of the adoption of MC (Piller 2002, Von Hippel 1998, Schubert & Koch
2002, Pine et al 1993, Fuller & Hienerth 2004). The Internet provides an efficient
platform <strong>to</strong> reduce the often difficult and costly process of transferring a cus<strong>to</strong>mers <strong>want</strong>s
or needs <strong>to</strong> a manufacturer (Piller & Walcher 2005). Lee et al (1999) goes as far as <strong>to</strong>
suggest that mass cus<strong>to</strong>mization is a “post fac<strong>to</strong> reaction made possible by the
introduction of electronic commerce”. As well as facilitating the efficient production of
cus<strong>to</strong>mized goods, Internet technology facilitates the personalisation of cus<strong>to</strong>mer
relationships (Piller 2002). Amazons sophisticated recommendation and account system
is an excellent example of this. Offering a tailored user experience <strong>to</strong> every cus<strong>to</strong>mer
based on their interest areas and previous purchasing behaviour. One area that has
Adam Fletcher – Do <strong>consumers</strong> <strong>want</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>design</strong> <strong>unique</strong> product on the internet.
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