Many industries are now discovering the advantages of Mass Customization. You can offer your customers a product that meets their wishes and needs and also requires about the same amount of time and money. The ability to offer your customers a product that is tailored to their personal needs, without at the same time charging them hundreds of extra euros, is revolutionary. The concept can be applied to many industries – the food industry (e.g. Subway: Have it your way), hospitality (Think Hotels), the apparel industry (Nike ID, anyone) and many more.
One industry that is well suited for mass customization is healthcare. In the following article, we discuss the benefits that Mass Customization can bring to this industry.
Healthcare needs.
Healthcare facilities serve a wide range of people with different needs, wishes and preferences. The environment is also stressful. Nobody wants to be in a hospital. Patients do not want to lie on a hard hospital bed. Family members do not enjoy watching a loved one struggle or feel pain. Experiences with health care will never be positive, as the reason people are there in the first place is often already very negative.
However, with this in mind, healthcare designers and product manufacturers can do their best to make the experience as good as possible and this starts with the products. Patients want an experience that meets their needs and wishes. They want control over their room, bed and care. Products that enable such patient-oriented care are the most efficient way to achieve this.
In addition, products that allow staff to customize the product to their needs and make their work more comfortable and efficient improve the patient experience and make it as optimal as possible.
So it is clear that flexible products are essential in healthcare. Mass Customization offers a solution.
Customizable products.
Adaptable products have established themselves in many sectors and industries. When customized products are integrated in a way that makes sense for both the company and the customer, they are win-win situation for everyone.
But how is this win-win situation achieved?
For the company that develops the product, the customization must be cost-effective. If the customization will cost the company or the manufacturer hundreds of dollars more in development time, labor and materials, Mass Customization is not necessarily a good option for the company.
The same applies to the customer. A customized product should not cost them three times the price of a mass-produced item, nor should it take them twice as long to get the customized product.
If the company can find a way to satisfy the customer with a customized product without losing money and time itself, customization will work. Anyone who can buy a custom product will like and appreciate the item more.
Mass customization makes all this possible. With the subway, for example, customers can order a customized sandwich for only 2 euros. The sandwich is made on request and to order by the customer. It is only meant for one person and if this one person wants to have twice as much mayonaise and pickled cucumbers, then it won`t take any longer and still only cost 2 Euro.
Mass Customization solves the needs of the customers without affecting the business, which is why many industries have chosen this new production method. Mass customization is also very beneficial in the healthcare industry and helps to improve patient satisfaction. In the following, we take a look at applications of mass customization in the healthcare industry and explain why this method is advantageous.
Mass customization in the healthcare sector.
So far, we have discussed the needs of the various stakeholders in the healthcare sector, addressed the main aspects of mass customization and demonstrated how mass customization benefits both manufacturers and customers. So it is clear that Mass Customization has a place in healthcare. In a stressful environment where stakeholders tick differently, mass customization of healthcare facilities, products and medical technology can increase patient satisfaction and staff efficiency.
Mass Customization can be applied in many ways in the healthcare sector. A good example is the so-called headwalls that were produced for the UCSD Jacobs Medical Center. The customer needed a specific headwall to meet their requirements, and the patients needed a headwall that would enhance their experience and give them more control. They also needed a headwall that would improve their work efficiency.
Usind Cannon Design, hundreds of headwalls were designed and manufactured for the center. The headwalls were built as efficiently as possible to keep costs as low as possible. The customer received a custom solution that not only met their needs, but also the needs of future patients and staff.
Another good example of Mass Customization in the healthcare sector is the documentation station built for the KU Medical Center. Similar to the headwalls, the documentation station was also built according to the specific needs of the customer. One of the most important aspects of this documentation station is its adaptability.
Staff can sit or stand in the operating room and the adaptable storage space allows staff to use the station in the way that best suits their needs. The adaptability of this ward allows staff to work more efficiently, which contributes to better patient satisfaction and a higher success rate of the operation.
These documentation stations were designed for a specific user, but the production time was not significantly longer than for similar mass-produced products. Furthermore, the price for these stations is as low as for stations of similar quality.
With solutions such as these and many others, healthcare facilities can offer patients and staff a more pleasant stay, which also satisfies their needs and wishes at a lower cost.
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