Abstract
Product variety is proliferating in almost all sectors. Increasing product variety potentially impacts many aspects of the operations of a manufacturing enterprise. Responsiveness is a key competitive attribute that may be negatively affected by increasing product variety. With trends towards more product customisation to satisfy individual customers and to compete in niche markets, the potential impacts need to be understood and coping strategies need to be developed. We note the trend in increasing product variety in many sectors over time. The impact of product variety and increasing levels of customisation on the management of operations is then examined. The concept of responsiveness, particularly for order fulfilment processes is discussed and the impact of product variety on responsiveness is examined. We then discuss the potential of mass customisation strategies for effective management of customer-generated variety. (8 pages)
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