Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions
Mass customization (MC) has become a pivotal manufacturing strategy for addressing the growing demand for personalized products without compromising cost efficiency and scalability. The emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has further expanded the potential of MC by enabling intelligent, flexible, and i...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7160 |
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| author | Ludovica Diletta Naldi Francesco Gabriele Galizia Marco Bortolini Matteo Gabellini Emilio Ferrari |
| author_facet | Ludovica Diletta Naldi Francesco Gabriele Galizia Marco Bortolini Matteo Gabellini Emilio Ferrari |
| author_sort | Ludovica Diletta Naldi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mass customization (MC) has become a pivotal manufacturing strategy for addressing the growing demand for personalized products without compromising cost efficiency and scalability. The emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has further expanded the potential of MC by enabling intelligent, flexible, and interconnected production systems. This paper presents a systematic literature review covering the period from 2011 to 2024, aimed at examining how I4.0 technologies influenced the conceptual evolution, technological enablers, and supply chain implications of MC. A total of 3441 publications were retrieved from Scopus and analyzed using a combination of bibliometric mapping and qualitative synthesis. The review identifies three primary research streams: (1) MC conceptual frameworks and performance metrics, (2) enabling technologies and methods across the product lifecycle, and (3) supply chain strategies tailored to MC environments. Key enablers such as product modularity, customer co-design platforms, additive manufacturing, and reconfigurable production systems are discussed, along with barriers related to complexity, integration challenges, and sustainability trade-offs. The study highlights a gradual convergence toward mass personalization, supported by real-time data, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics. The findings offer a structured understanding of MC in the I4.0 context and point toward future research opportunities involving digital twin integration, cross-disciplinary implementation models, and sustainability-driven customization frameworks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c288f413dbe428c800ce91de88a4492 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c288f413dbe428c800ce91de88a44922025-08-20T02:35:56ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-06-011513716010.3390/app15137160Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future DirectionsLudovica Diletta Naldi0Francesco Gabriele Galizia1Marco Bortolini2Matteo Gabellini3Emilio Ferrari4Department of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, ItalyMass customization (MC) has become a pivotal manufacturing strategy for addressing the growing demand for personalized products without compromising cost efficiency and scalability. The emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has further expanded the potential of MC by enabling intelligent, flexible, and interconnected production systems. This paper presents a systematic literature review covering the period from 2011 to 2024, aimed at examining how I4.0 technologies influenced the conceptual evolution, technological enablers, and supply chain implications of MC. A total of 3441 publications were retrieved from Scopus and analyzed using a combination of bibliometric mapping and qualitative synthesis. The review identifies three primary research streams: (1) MC conceptual frameworks and performance metrics, (2) enabling technologies and methods across the product lifecycle, and (3) supply chain strategies tailored to MC environments. Key enablers such as product modularity, customer co-design platforms, additive manufacturing, and reconfigurable production systems are discussed, along with barriers related to complexity, integration challenges, and sustainability trade-offs. The study highlights a gradual convergence toward mass personalization, supported by real-time data, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics. The findings offer a structured understanding of MC in the I4.0 context and point toward future research opportunities involving digital twin integration, cross-disciplinary implementation models, and sustainability-driven customization frameworks.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7160mass customizationIndustry 4.0literature reviewproduct variety |
| spellingShingle | Ludovica Diletta Naldi Francesco Gabriele Galizia Marco Bortolini Matteo Gabellini Emilio Ferrari Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions Applied Sciences mass customization Industry 4.0 literature review product variety |
| title | Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions |
| title_full | Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions |
| title_fullStr | Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions |
| title_short | Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions |
| title_sort | unlocking the potential of mass customization through industry 4 0 mapping research streams and future directions |
| topic | mass customization Industry 4.0 literature review product variety |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7160 |
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