Mass customisation: management approaches and internet opportunities in the financial sector in the UK

摘要

The development of customised services that are offered at competitive prices is among the highest priorities in the services industry. Mass customisation (MC) attempts to give customers what they want, when and where they want it, at a cost comparable to that of mass-produced goods. The adoption of MC in conjunction with the rapid development of the Internet applications can open up new opportunities for developing services, which are affordable and customised to customers needs. This paper reports on the results of an exploratory study of 35 IT and marketing managers of banks and insurance companies in the UK. It investigates three critical issues for the successful implementation of MC, namely, the management approaches to developing MC, the employees awareness and the potential of the Internet as a means for closer interaction and collaboration with customers for the customisation of services.