Customised product design optimisation considering module synergy effects and expert preferences

Fierce marketing competition and varied customer requirements on products make a lot of companies transfer to the customisation strategy. However, customers may be overwhelmed by the vast assortment of products and options. This paper proposes a methodology aimed at optimising the range of customised product varieties considering synergy effects of modules and preferences of experts. The methodology outlines key steps required for a successful customised product configuration. Firstly, a questionnaire based on the Kano model is designed to identify customer preferences for product module customisation. The potential customers can be segmented based on the distance among their multidimensional preferences. Secondly, within each segmented market, the customer satisfaction function that considers module synergies is established using the quantified Kano model and coefficient matrix. Thirdly, the cost function that considers experts' preferences is established based on the prospect theory. Finally, a bi-objective optimisation model is formulated to maximise customer satisfaction and minimise cost under technical constraints. Pareto solutions are obtained by solving the model with the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). Modules and attributes available to customers can be determined by the solutions. An illustrative example of modular laptop computers confirms the methodology's effectiveness in optimising product configuration.