Zhang, Y; Wang, J; Ahmad, R and Li, X (2022) Integrating lean production strategies, virtual reality technique and building information modeling method for mass customization in cabinet manufacturing. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(10), pp. 3970-3996. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: In response to increasing demand for a fully customized and individualized home environment, mass customization (MC) has been suggested as an effective strategy to fulfill the customer’s customization needs while keeping production cost-effectiveness. However, in current practice, the implementation of the MC in the industrialized housing industry has not achieved an ideal level. Little effort was devoted to customer value generation and achieving lean production in a multi-disciplinary MC environment. In this concern, a highly efficient and flexible production information system is expected to capture accurately the customer’s demand and efficiently perform work planning for encouraging customer involvement and mass efficiency production. Design/methodology/approach: To gain an insight into the development of the MC production information system for the housing industry and to depict the interaction among system modules, this study used a design science research methodology for a case study of customized cabinet production information system development. Findings: A prototype of the production information system was proposed in this paper, supported by three information technologies to facilitate the MC implementation in the millwork manufacturer. A focus group discussion method was carried out for evaluating the system feasibility and the subsequent survey analysis on the virtual reality (VR) interface experiment. The evaluation process results showed that the VR interface is an effective medium for design information communication and encourages customer involvement. Most participants believed that the proposed production information system could generally benefit the MC implementation and improve production efficiency. Originality/value: This study integrated lean production principles along with building information modelling, VR and discrete-event simulation in the production information system to assist the manufacturer in effectively handling variant product information and enabling quicker reactions in response to diverse customer requirements in housing industries. The coordination among system modules and the managed information flow could be a valuable reference for future MC production system development in housing industries.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building information modelling; discrete-event simulation; furniture; industry; information technology; lean production principles; mass customization; participatory design; virtual reality |
| Index terms: | coordination, mass customization, implementation, interaction, module, effectiveness, virtual reality, product information, case study, customization, building information modelling, efficiency, housing, information technology, information system, methodology, information flow, lean production, experiment, survey, strategy, value generation, prototype, design science research, focus group, production cost, production system, manufacturer |
| Subjects: | architectural elements, design practice, manufacturing engineering, management, performance management, research methods, behavioral psychology, information systems, construction type, data collection methods, virtual reality, practitioner, computing systems, innovation studies, construction manufacturing, modelling and simulation, contractual arrangements, financial and cost management |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Quality Management, Roles and Professions, Construction Technology, Procurement, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Research Practice, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here