PLM Library · Paper
Product platform design and customization: Status and promise
- Author
- Timothy W. Simpson
- Publisher
- AI EDAM · Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 2004
Summary
Reviews product-platform approaches for mass customization, including module-based and scale-based product families and the trade-offs between commonality and performance. It provides an overview of how shared platforms can support variety without treating every product as a separate design.
The review establishes a foundation for exploring specific platform-design methods and understanding when standardization, scaling or modularity may be appropriate for a product family.
Our verdict
Recommended as a foundational overview before exploring specific product-platform methods. Useful for establishing the vocabulary and trade-offs of mass customization, with its 2004 publication date kept in mind when assessing current practice.
Who should read it
- —Engineers new to product-platform design
- —Product-family leaders comparing customization approaches
- —Researchers seeking a foundational literature overview
How it relates to your work
- —Distinguish module-based and scale-based approaches to product variety.
- —Assess commonality–performance trade-offs before standardizing components and product structures.
Keep in mind
- —Published in AI EDAM, volume 18, issue 1, pages 3–20; the issue year is 2004, while Cambridge lists online publication in January 2005.
- —A foundational review, not a current market survey or PLM implementation guide.
- —The publisher may require institutional access or purchase; a verified free full-text copy was not located.