Comments on: Mass Customization and The Paradox of Choice http://sephskerritt.com/2008/10/01/mass-customization-paradox-choice/ Startups, Design, Marketing, User Experience, New York, Life Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:33:02 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Stephanie Green http://sephskerritt.com/2008/10/01/mass-customization-paradox-choice/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Stephanie Green Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:15:16 +0000 http://sephskerritt.com/2008/10/01/mass-customization-paradox-choice/#comment-57 I strongly believe that mass customization only works when choices are managed. I've worked in this arena with industrial configure-to-order, build-to-order, and engineer-to-order manufacturers for a long time. An all-to-common mistake is that developing a customer-facing configurator that allows the customer to choose from all possible options will automatically generate skyrocketing sales. The problem is that too many choices only confuse the customer and produces dissatisfaction with the specification process and, by extension, the manufacturer. Customers, especially when faced with complex choices, expect the manufacturer to play the part of the expert and expect that part of what they are paying for is that expertise. The bottom-line is knowing who your customer is and in the execution of the process. I also suggest "Nudge" by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein for excellent insights on "choice architecture." I strongly believe that mass customization only works when choices are managed. I’ve worked in this arena with industrial configure-to-order, build-to-order, and engineer-to-order manufacturers for a long time. An all-to-common mistake is that developing a customer-facing configurator that allows the customer to choose from all possible options will automatically generate skyrocketing sales. The problem is that too many choices only confuse the customer and produces dissatisfaction with the specification process and, by extension, the manufacturer. Customers, especially when faced with complex choices, expect the manufacturer to play the part of the expert and expect that part of what they are paying for is that expertise. The bottom-line is knowing who your customer is and in the execution of the process.

I also suggest “Nudge” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein for excellent insights on “choice architecture.”

]]> By: Joe Pine http://sephskerritt.com/2008/10/01/mass-customization-paradox-choice/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Joe Pine Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:16:44 +0000 http://sephskerritt.com/2008/10/01/mass-customization-paradox-choice/#comment-56 As Don Peppers, Martha Rogers, and I wrote as the opening lines of our March-April 1995 Harvard Business Review article, "Do You Want to Keep Keep Your Customers Forever?": "Customers, whether consumers or businesses, do not want more choices. They want exactly what they want". I look forward to meeting you at the Smart Customization conference! As Don Peppers, Martha Rogers, and I wrote as the opening lines of our March-April 1995 Harvard Business Review article, “Do You Want to Keep Keep Your Customers Forever?”: “Customers, whether consumers or businesses, do not want more choices. They want exactly what they want”.

I look forward to meeting you at the Smart Customization conference!

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