Key research issues in user interaction with user toolkits in a mass customization system

The idea of integrating users in the design and production process is a promising strategy for companies being forced to react to the growing individualization of demand. While there is a vast managerial literature on mass customization, empirical findings are scarce. Our literature review shows that specifically the core of a mass customization system, the toolkit and the users' interaction with it, is hardly researched. The objective of this paper is to set a research agenda in the field of user interaction with toolkits for mass customization. From the literature and 15 exploratory expert interviews with leading pioneering companies we deploy four key research issues in this evolving field.