From Strategy Definition to Product Derivation Using a Scenario-Based Architecting Approach

Abstract

Mass customization is a business strategy that aims at satisfying, in a timely and cost-effective manner, the various needs of different customers. For that purpose, a system architecture is needed that supports two different kinds of variability: Variability in space provides a range of different products where each addresses the specific needs of an individual customer; and variability in time allows the products to evolve and thus meet new requirements. In defining such an architecture, two issues should be considered. One is how to anticipate the most likely changes in the external business environment, and hence in the customers’ future needs. The other is whether the architecture can address these changes effectively. This chapter presents a set of scenario-based methods and techniques to support the development of system architectures that are more future-proof, and also are advantageous for mass customization. These methods and techniques have originally been developed for highly-customized professional systems, in particular medical imaging equipment.