A sustainability based optimization model for starting solutions in toolkits for mass customization

Abstract

This article proposes a sustainability based optimization model for starting solutions in toolkits for mass customization. It reviews existing optimization models to analyze and display sustainability in a configurator context and develops an updated and more sophisticated model. The proposed linear programming algorithm describes the customizable product and calculates the sustainability-maximizing configuration depending on the customer's triple bottom line preferences (financial, environmental and social). The proposed model is useful for companies aiming to implement sustainable mass customization to provide customers with a recommendation that corresponds to their specific demands. Moreover, this article helps mass customization firms to accomplish parts of their corporate social responsibility goals by means of a configurator. Our optimization model considers all three sustainability dimensions and gives each a specific “dimensional weight” that corresponds to the preferences of the customer. For academia, this article serves as a basic framework that analyzes general conditions and advantages for applying sustainable mass customization. A step-by-step application explains how to guide the customer through the configuration process by analyzing how the sustainability based optimization model for starting solutions in toolkits for mass customization can be applied within the television manufacturing industry.