Mass to Mass Customization to Micro Localisation!

The evolution of management practices to bridge the gap between the customer expectations and the delivery capability of the organisation leads to discovery of ingenious  processes.

We remember 1903 when Henry Ford bridged the gap between time & cost expectation vis-a-vis customization. Then the world got introduced to what is commonly understood as "Mass Production System". The basis of mass production was the complete & consistent interchangeability of parts & simplicity of attaching them to each other. These innovations made assembly line possible.

A new revolution due to wide spread use of technology - both for suppliers as well as consumers - led to expectations of customization. The supplier community retained the lever of mass while discovering new practices for customization. Dell led the management practices for Mass Customization which laid down the processes for meeting the customer demand.

The evolution in management practices to meet the customer demand seem to have taken a new turn. Introducing products with configuration, features, formulations or even ingredients to suit specific regions or communities is the new buzz. Call is "Micro-Localisation". The marketing folks would love this to be a reality as it takes them as close to the customer needs as much possible. So if you are a Bengali why not get a microwave with an auto-cook option for fish? If you are a South-Indian, the same auto-cook will be for idli and you are in the west or north, the auto-cook option will be for pavbhaji. The size of the market in India for each of the communities is large enough for marketing guys to make a business case for profitable market segmentation. I am sure the business case has justification.

How about the impact on the Supply Chain?