An Exploratory Study of User Interaction with Smart Products for Customization in the Usage Stage

Ning Wang (), Frank T. Piller and Kanliang Wang
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Ning Wang: RWTH Aachen University, Group of Technology and Innovation Management
Frank T. Piller: RWTH Aachen University, Group of Technology and Innovation Management
Kanliang Wang: Renmin University of China, Group of Management Science and Engineering

A chapter in Customization 4.0, 2018, pp 37-53 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract In this paper, we propose a new concept to provide customized and user-specific products, utilizing the opportunities of so-called smart products: product customization in the usage stage (PCUS) with smart products (SPs). Contrary to the existing concept of utilizing online toolkits to customize products during the time of sale, a new class of smart products (made possible by recent digital technologies and the Internet of Things) allows product adaptation and change according to each individual’s needs in specific usage contexts through a new form of user-product interaction. This advanced ICT-enabled phenomenon offers many research opportunities. One of these fields is the perceptions of users of the SP’s smartness, i.e., a potentially autonomous personalization of the product based on past usage behavior of a user. While such an autonomous adaptation is convenient and reduces complexity for users, users may perceive a loss of control. This paper explores the design parameters for companies to develop user interaction with SPs for PCUS. We propose that users and smart products should coadapt to better satisfy customization needs.

Keywords: Smart products (SPs); Product customization in the usage stage (PCUS); Perceived autonomy; Perceived control; Design parameters; User interaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-319-77556-2_3

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-77556-2_3

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