Integrating Modular Design Concepts for Enhanced Efficiency in Digital and Sustainable Manufacturing: A Literature Review

Abstract

Small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs) face intense competitiveness, necessitating ever greater productivity. Enterprises struggle to meet the demand for customized products while maintaining their productivity. The transition from mass customization (MC) to mass personalization (MPe) leads to a further increase in product variety and, thus, complexity. Digital transformation alone is not sufficient to achieve MPe and traditional adoption of modularity no longer ensures enterprise competitiveness in this context of increased variety. The synergy between modularity concepts could enhance the efficiency of this design strategy. This study is part of a research plan to develop an effective modularity implementation strategy addressing MPe. The aim of this article is to identify the main concepts and tools to be considered in an implementation strategy. Concepts and tools are grouped into four combinations according to the level of product variety in different production strategies. This preliminary work serves as the foundational research for a larger research plan aimed at adapting and validating a modular product development strategy that incorporates these modularity concepts.