Mass Customization

A manufacturing strategy that combines the efficiency of mass production with the flexibility of custom production — delivering products tailored to individual customer specifications at near-commodity cost and lead time.

Why it matters

Mass customization is the dominant product strategy in automotive, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics — but it requires a product architecture and PLM infrastructure designed to manage configuration complexity at scale, not just engineering flexibility at the margins.

Cite this definition

Finocchiaro, Michael. “Mass Customization.” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/mass-customization