Final answer:
Mass customization combines personalization with efficient mass production to cater to consumer preferences while maintaining lower costs. Accurate descriptions include efficient production of customized products (c), manufacturers aiming to achieve this balance (d), and the notion of customized products produced en masse (a).
Step-by-step explanation:
Mass customization is a manufacturing and business strategy that combines the flexibility and personalization of custom-made products with the low unit costs associated with mass production. When we consider complex product design, such as in the automobile industry, we realize that not only consumer preferences but also logistical considerations and regulatory requirements must be factored into the final product. This points towards the significance of mass customization, allowing for a product that can adapt to various needs and preferences without a costly overhaul in the manufacturing process. Below are the statements which accurately describe mass customization:
- (a) Mass customization is a way of mass-producing a particular product that was initially customized to meet the specifications of one customer. - This statement is partly true. Although the product might start as a custom specification for one customer, the process of mass customization aims to efficiently produce customized products on a large scale, not just replicating one custom order.
- (c) In theory, mass customization refers to a process structure that would provide an efficient means of producing high volumes of highly customized products. - This statement is accurate as it encapsulates the core ideology of mass customization; to balance high-volume production with personalized customer demand.
- (d) Manufacturers look for ways to move their process structure closer to mass customization. - True. Manufacturers strive to innovate their manufacturing processes to accommodate the versatile demands of customization while maintaining efficiencies of mass production.
Option (b), which suggests that mass customization is an unrealized ideal, is debatable since many industries have made considerable advancements towards this concept. Option (e), on the other hand, is misleading as mass customization does not ensure that no two products are the same; it simply allows for a high degree of customization within the mass production process.