NPD-SCM alignment in mass customization

This chapter aims to develop a new product development supply chain management alignment framework for mass customization. A case study conducted in industry motivates this framework. Variety, modularity, and innovativeness are the product features that should be taken into account when studying alignment in a mass customization setting. From the supply chain viewpoint, configuration, collaboration, and coordination complexities are the variables that matter. We formulate ten propositions explaining the relationships between the variables of the framework. It must be noted that innovativeness, a variable that has so far been neglected with respect to the alignment question, plays a critical role in supply chain management decisions.