Internet of Things platforms for mass customisation: when are they appropriate?

Deciding which emergent technology to invest in is difficult, especially when the commercial potential is uncertain. One of the most interesting applications for IoT technologies in manufacturing is to use IoT to derive data for the development of designs to drive the mass customisation production of goods.

However, before deciding to invest in the technology to enable IoT mass customisation, manufacturers need to know that IoT driven mass customisation will be as popular with their audience as human-driven customisation. For some consumers part of the value of a customised product (such as Adidas shoes) is the time spent personally designing it.

A team from the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, created a theoretical model to identify the suitability of different products for IoT-driven mass customisation.

Read more about the project