Sessions
Session 19
Configuration and Choice Navigation: Strategic Issues
Tuesday Oct 6 2009
10:40-12:00
Piasecki, Michal (Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, United Kingdom)
Hanna, Sean (Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, United Kingdom)
Review of B2C Online Product Configurators
While business to customer (B2C) mass customization (MC) has been discussed mainly from the producers’ perspective, researchers have reported a lack of sufficient literature examining the topic from users’ perspective. This paper provides a review of configurators with user experience in mind. We first discuss terms related to configurators such as: “solution space”, “product attributes” and “attribute values”. We then propose definitions of terms such “personalization” and “customization”, “modular MC” and “full MC” as well as the term “design”. An outline of mass customization nomenclature frames the review of two distinct sets of configurators - a set of 55 configurators currently operating commercially and a set of configurators subject to experimentation to date. We find that while configurators operating commercially have a heterogeneous set of features, configurators subject to experimentation to date, by contrast, are characterized by relatively homogenous features. We also find that personalization of B2C configurators is a very rare approach. We conclude with an outline of features found in configurators available commercially, but not researched experimentally. We argue that those features demand empirical experimentation.
Piasecki, Hanna -presentation pdf
Fürstner, Igor (Subotica Tech, Serbia)
Anišic, Zoran (FTN, University of Novi Sad, Serbia)
Adaptive Product Configurator for Different Level of Customers' Knowledge
The paper presents the latest results of an ongoing project which deals with the development of a specific on-line product configurator in the field of thermal insulation of buildings. Based on the experience of a previous version of the developed configurator that was meant to be used both by users with average or no technical knowledge (B2C configurator) and by professionals with proper technical knowledge in the related field (B2B configurator), some problems have been recognized. The problems have arisen mostly because some of the previous non-professional users have found the product configurator too complex to use, because of their lack of proper knowledge about insulation and poor IT knowledge. On the other hand some of the professional users have found that the configurator lacked the possibility of defining exact and precise input parameters. The adaptive product configurator proposes a definition of the customer profile that is relevant to the area of investigation. Based on defined customer profile, three levels of input information complexity are defined (for "dummy" user, intermediate user and professional user). The type and amount of input information on one level is defined by a set of initial questions, based on which the customer profile is defined. The proposed solution is generated based on input data and built in logic. The results show that different levels of input data produce different structure of the configuration process and proposed solutions, both qualitatively and quantitatively, but that the differences could be acceptable considering the field of thermal insulation. The results also show an improvement considering the simplicity of handling and understanding of the configuration process as experienced by the user.
Fürstner, Anišic -presentation pdf
Haug, Anders (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark)
Hvam, Lars (Technical University of Denmark, Denmark)
Mortensen, Niels Henrik (Technical University of Denmark, Denmark)
A classification of strategies for the development of product configurators
Product configurators are a subtype of software-based expert systems with a focus on the creation of product specifications. Product configurators are increasingly being applied by engineering-oriented companies, which has resulted in many positive effects, such as reduced lead times, fewer errors, shorter learning periods for new employees, etc. Unfortunately, also many configuration projects fail because the task of developing the configurator turns out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated. In order to minimize the chance of project failure, it is crucial to apply the right strategy. However, the literature does not discuss different strategic alternatives in a detailed manner, but only provides generalised recommendations of single strategies. To deal with this issue, this paper defines three main and four additional strategies for the development of product configurators. The strategies are defined based on literature, seven named case studies, and other case experiences of the authors. The paper deduces the advantages and disadvantages of the individual strategies, and gives a general recommendation of which type of strategy to pursue in different types of projects.
Haug, Hvam, Mortensen -paper pdf
Streichsbier, Clarissa (cyLEDGE Media GmbH, Austria)
Identification of De-Facto Standards for Designing the User Interfaces for Web Based B2C Product Configurators
In order to assess the usefulness of de-facto design standards as a guide for designing human-computer interactions, this case study attempts to identify if and which kind of design standards exist for web-based B2C product configurators – systems that allow consumers to design their own products, and are characterized by a particularly high level of interactivity. Using the world’s largest configurator database in combination with a grid-classification of different user interface designs, 126 such configurators in three different industries (electronics, apparel, automotive) are examined and made comparable. The case study reveals more differences than similarities, placing the usefulness of de-facto standards as a design guideline for human-computer interactions into question.