Title: Product customisation through postponement and CE tools integration in an aerospace company

Authors: Cássio Dias Gonçalves; Geilson Loureiro; Luís Gonzaga Trabasso

Addresses: Brazilian Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA), Av. Independência, 531, CEP 12031-000, Jabuticabeiras, Taubaté, São Paulo, Brazil. ' Integration and Testing Laboratory (LIT), Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE), Av. dos Astronautas 1758 Jd. da Granja, CEP 12227-010, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. ' Brazilian Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA), Praça Marechal Eduardo Gomes, 50, Vila das Acácias, CEP 12228-900, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: This paper aims to demonstrate a method to implement a product customisation strategy in an aerospace company through the integration between postponement and CE tools: a) determining the best time to make the main decisions related to postponement implementation, during the product development phase; b) mapping the relationships among functional and physical product characteristics with the customer needs and even so guaranteeing the accomplishment with the programme budget; c) identifying, during the product development phase, the optimal level of postponement that should be adopted.

Keywords: product customisation; postponement; concurrent engineering; mass customisation; aerospace industry; simultaneous engineering; product development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMASSC.2011.042957

International Journal of Mass Customisation, 2011 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.1 - 21

Received: 01 Jun 2010
Accepted: 11 Oct 2010
Published online: 28 Feb 2015 *