Customer-specific value chain: beyond mass customization?

Mass Customization is a new mode of production and service delivery that has become an integral part of the Global Management Paradigm (GMP) [1]. The term itself was first coined by S. Davis back in 1987 (his book Future Perfect). In recent articles, J. Gilmore emphasized the customer-unique value chain [2], relating to the effort of overcome the "mass-oriented" thinking and behavior which appear to be dominant not only in the mass-production but also in the mass-customization mindsets. This is similar to the CSVC (customer-specific value chain) term used here. CSVC is a part of customer-integration efforts within the Global Management Paradigm consisting of a number of interdependent and mutually enhancing practices which increasingly characterize corporate management systems emerging in the theater of global competition. Globally competitive companies are now less likely to differentiate between their domestic and international operations. For example, Coca Cola has officially dropped its international and domestic divisions. In 1994, T. Turner banned the use of labels like "foreign" or "domestic" in describing the activities of TBS and CNN. Some institutions are belatedly discovering the bandwagon of "international" orientation at the time when emphasizing such distinction is starting to sound fiat, if not meaningless. There are nine major dimensions of GMP, all of which are currently making significant headway in high-competition economies: