Service System Decoupling for Mass Customization: A Case Study in Catering Services

The paper examines the key issues on system decoupling in service operations of mass customization by conducting a case study in catering services. It firstly justifies the effectiveness of applying concept of mass customization into service system decoupling to deal with the operation dilemma and then reveals the nature of decoupling decisions for mass customization purpose after discussions on the importance of modularization and the role of technologies including IT in the decoupling process. Based on these analyses, a Judgment-Matrix-based model on how to make the decoupling decisions in balancing the multiple operation objectives is then proposed and further research directions are finally suggested.

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