Mass Customization Is (Finally) The Future Of Products

Mass customization has long been the next big thing in product strategy. After a variety of false starts, its time has finally come. Changes in customer-facing technology are opening up new opportunities for product strategists to bring customers into product design, creating both customer loyalty and higher margins. While it will take a decade for mass customization to become widespread, product strategists should seize the opportunity to be first movers today. Product strategists can build successful mass-customization strategies by applying Forrester's CURA framework: curation, usability, resonance, and anticipation. Ultimately, mass customization holds the promise of helping bring manufacturing back to the US and EU due to the need for local production and highly skilled labor.