Background of the empirical studyTh

Background of the empirical study

The project reflected against the principles of interventionist research is a long-term research
project with a technical wholesaler of hydraulic components. The case company is the local country
unit of a globally operating manufacturer of hydraulic components. When the research collaboration
was started in 2002, the focus was initially on analyzing the cost behavior of wholesale operations.
However, in addition to the wholesale operations, the case company also manufactures hydraulic
power units. The power unit business supports the component sales since a power unit mainly is a
system configured using the components of the case companies. Thus, in order to sell the
components, the company needs to design and build power units for their customers. These
hydraulic power units are specific to the user applications and, therefore, engineered to order.
Engineering-to-order (ETO) approach, on the other hand, makes the business rather complex
causing costs and lengthy delivery times.

However, the story behind the study starts a bit earlier. In fall 2000, the authors had engaged in a
research project focusing on modularization of conveyor systems for food industry. Conveyor
systems have traditionally been engineered to order, which requires close collaboration with
customers and, therefore, forces companies often rather local players. The company had a vision of
selling modular conveyor systems to various end-users through a global dealership network. The
cost reduction objectives of these conveyor systems were rather ambitious, which was the primary
reason why the authors were asked to become involved in the development process. Already from
the beginning, the authors brought up the need to design the conveyor systems so as to enable
customized conveyor systems to be delivered without any part-level engineering. This, however,
was not considered relevant by the management:

"Don'tyou worry about that. When we start selling them [modular conveyors] we certainly
know how to make them..."

Thus, managers used to ETO approach did not understand why products should be designed in
advance. Nevertheless, two years later, in 2002, an idea was born that enabled the conveyor length
to be adjusted steplessly using just a few standard conveyor modules. The solution developed by the
researchers enabled mass customization in somewhat new ways and, therefore, was patented. That
was the moment when the authors became personally interested in practical solutions for using mass
customization as a tool for cost management in ETO contexts.

At some point in fall 2002, the conveyor solution was discussed with the Managing Director of the
case company. The issue simply surfaced in one informal meeting with the Managing Director who
immediately pointed out the need for similar ideas:

"This is exactly what we need for our power units. Would it be possible to refocus the on-
going research project?"

In an effort to reduce costs and delivery times, the company had started to modularize their power
units. The modularization project had not progressed as planned, which was the reason why the
researchers had been asked several times to join the modularization project. Despite the managerial
interest, modularization of hydraulic power units had not been considered academically interesting
and the researchers actually did everything to avoid becoming involved. However, the conveyor
solution motivated the researchers to focus on mass customization and, thus, the research focus in

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Latar belakang studi empirisProyek tercermin terhadap prinsip-prinsip intervensionis penelitian adalah penelitian jangka panjangproyek dengan Grosir teknis komponen hidrolik. Kasus perusahaan adalah negara lokalunit operasi global produsen komponen hidrolik. Ketika kerjasama penelitiandimulai pada tahun 2002, fokus awalnya menganalisis perilaku biaya operasi-operasi.Namun, selain operasi grosir, kasus perusahaan juga memproduksi hidrolikPower unit. Power unit bisnis mendukung penjualan komponen karena unit daya terutamasistem dikonfigurasi menggunakan komponen perusahaan kasus. Dengan demikian, dalam rangka untuk menjualkomponen, perusahaan perlu untuk merancang dan membangun unit daya untuk pelanggan mereka. IniHydraulic power unit khusus untuk para pengguna aplikasi dan, oleh karena itu, direkayasa sesuai pesanan.Pendekatan teknik-to-order (ETO), di sisi lain, membuat bisnis lebih kompleksmenyebabkan biaya dan waktu pengiriman yang panjang.Namun, cerita di balik studi dimulai sedikit lebih awal. Pada musim gugur tahun 2000, penulis terlibat dalamproyek penelitian yang berfokus pada modularisasi sistem conveyor untuk industri makanan. Conveyorsistem tradisional direkayasa untuk order, yang memerlukan kerjasama erat denganPelanggan dan, karenanya, kekuatan perusahaan pemain sering agak lokal. Perusahaan memiliki visimenjual modular conveyor sistem untuk berbagai pengguna melalui jaringan dealer global. Thetujuan pengurangan biaya sistem conveyor ini yang agak ambisius, iaitu utamaalasan mengapa penulis diminta untuk menjadi terlibat dalam proses pembangunan. Sudah dariawal, penulis dibesarkan kebutuhan untuk merancang sistem conveyor untuk mengaktifkandisesuaikan sistem conveyor untuk dikirimkan tanpa teknik bagian-tingkat apapun. Ini, bagaimanapun,tidak dianggap relevan oleh manajemen:"Don'tyou khawatir tentang hal itu. Ketika kita mulai menjual mereka [modular konveyor] kita pastitahu bagaimana membuat mereka..."Dengan demikian, manajer digunakan untuk pendekatan ETO tidak mengerti mengapa produk harus dirancangmuka. Namun demikian, dua tahun kemudian, pada tahun 2002, ide lahir yang diaktifkan panjang conveyordisesuaikan steplessly menggunakan hanya beberapa modul standar conveyor. Solusi yang dikembangkan olehpeneliti diaktifkan kustomisasi massal dalam cara yang agak baru dan, oleh karena itu, telah dipatenkan. Bahwaadalah saat ketika penulis menjadi pribadi tertarik pada solusi praktis untuk menggunakan massakustomisasi sebagai alat untuk biaya manajemen dalam konteks ETO.Pada titik tertentu dalam musim gugur tahun 2002, solusi conveyor dibahas dengan Direktur Pengelolakasus perusahaan. Masalah hanya muncul dalam satu pertemuan informal dengan Managing Director yangsegera menunjukkan kebutuhan untuk ide-ide serupa:"Ini adalah persis apa yang kita butuhkan untuk unit daya kami. Itu akan mungkin untuk memfokuskan kembali on-going research project?"In an effort to reduce costs and delivery times, the company had started to modularize their powerunits. The modularization project had not progressed as planned, which was the reason why theresearchers had been asked several times to join the modularization project. Despite the managerialinterest, modularization of hydraulic power units had not been considered academically interestingand the researchers actually did everything to avoid becoming involved. However, the conveyorsolution motivated the researchers to focus on mass customization and, thus, the research focus in