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concept Updated 2026-08-07

Modular Customization / 模块化定制

Modular customization / 模块化定制 is the strategy of decomposing varied customer requirements into standardized modules and recombining those modules into many customer-specific products. In EP271 探访“柔性制造”工厂：是谁让你“想要就能买到”？, 海尔 uses this approach for commercial central air-conditioning, where building area, machine-room size, humidity, temperature, and energy targets make pure standardization impractical.

The concept is a middle path between rigid mass production and one-off engineering. It helps flexible manufacturing scale because the factory can reuse components, data, tests, suppliers, and process knowledge while still configuring solutions for different sites. In the Haier case, modular customization is paired with 卡奥斯, customer selection systems, digital twins, and digital-thread coordination.

Key Claims

  • Customization becomes scalable when differences are captured as reusable modules rather than rebuilt from scratch.
  • The product architecture has to decide which variations are standardized and which remain project-specific.
  • Modular customization can improve sales because customers can get an initial scheme through a selection system before deep engineering work starts.
  • The model works best when production, design, ordering, and quality systems share the same module logic.
  • Poor modularization can create complexity without true flexibility if modules do not map to real customer needs.

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