3D-Standards, Aarkid’s off-the-shelf virtual showroom solution is attracting more and more manufacturers who then provide it to their distributors as a sales tool.

Portable and modular furniture manufacturers use this tool to help untrained sales staff to engage prospective customers in the design process. it’s working extremely well with reports of sales growth of up to 120% over 12 months.

A set of features in 3D-Standards are attracting specific attention from the display and exhibit systems manufacturers. Product ‘skinning’ is one of these, which allows users to upload graphics directly onto the 3D product models to customize the output for specific clients.

For further info go through to www.3d-standards.com

Mass customization is the ability to manufacture single custom items with the same or greater efficiency than mass production. The aim is to improve customer choice, service, and dramatically reduce manufacturing costs. To achieve this efficiency, several factors should be considered:

• Product reduction (Pareto’s Law: 80% of profit comes from 20% of products). Rationalization of product offering is one of the most effective ways to increase profits. While it seems counter intuitive. Reducing product choice is the first step to mass customization.
• Modular or Adjustable product design: Lean design practices need to be followed to remove costs associated with set up of a production run. The variety of parts and materials can and should be minimised. The reliability of much fewer components can be easily maximised.
• Supply automation (or spontaneous re-supply): This further reduces effort and cost per production run. The goal is to eliminate set-up costs entirely making the production of a single item as efficient as a batch.
• Product configurator: A product configurator is needed to join the new, lean, mass customization manufacturing to the customer whom it’s designed to serve. The product configurator will allow the customer to automate the sales process online. Selecting modules or adjustments from a rules based interface that can automate costs, quotes, and send technical and customer details back to manufacturing for order fulfilment.
• Distribution chain standardization: A web based product configurator can itself be customized by distributors. This allows a central standardized application running from a single web server to display individually branded versions and different language interfaces for each distributor to embed in their own website. Standardizing order processes and sales documents globally.

This lean manufacturing and distribution model has come of age and is now replacing the previous ideas of mass production. For more information see this article.

Mass Customization Examples:

1. Sovella Oy: Sovella manufacture and supply modular workstations. Designed from the ground-up for mass customization, their workbenches are built to a configurable, modular system and can be customized through an online product configurator on their website. With all accessories fitting to one simple modular system, the work bench units can be reconfigured to suit a variety of tasks like, product assembly, packing stations, lan stations, etc.

As production of all configurations rely on the same standardized assembly processes, the Sovella workstation is a great example of mass customization. ( view here: www.sovella.com )

Other Reciprocal Software Resources:
Management and Attendence Software : Comprehensive features that are user friendly and instrumental in effective school management, this unique School Management Software has become popular globally in a very short period.

According to a study conducted by AMR and McKinsey Company, 80% of business goes to manufacturers who are the “easiest to buy from”. The message is plain and simple, if you have a complex product, then get tools to sell it effectively.

Case-study portable display distributors report 120% growth over 12 months using Aarkid’s 3D-Standards Virtual Showroom. Distributors are converting more sales, and saving time, and money.