=Paper= {{Paper |id=Vol-1220/paper12 |storemode=property |title=Towards an Understanding of How the Capabilities Deployed by a Web-based Sales Configurator Can Increase the Benefits of Possessing a Mass-Customized Product |pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1220/12_confws2014_submission_5.pdf |volume=Vol-1220 |dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/confws/GrossoTF14 }} ==Towards an Understanding of How the Capabilities Deployed by a Web-based Sales Configurator Can Increase the Benefits of Possessing a Mass-Customized Product== https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1220/12_confws2014_submission_5.pdf

Towards an understanding of how the capabilities
deployed by a Web-based sales configurator can increase
the benefits of possessing a mass-customized product
Chiara Grosso1 and Alessio Trentin 1 and Cipriano Forza 1

Abstract. Manufacturers that adopt mass customization are paying In such a context, increasing the customer-perceived benefits of
a growing attention to understanding not only how product possessing a mass-customized product can be one key in delivering
customization can be delivered efficiently, but also how this value that exceeds those of competing mass customizers’ offerings.
strategy can create value for their customers. As reported in In particular, manufacturers that adopt mass customization need to
literature, the customer-perceived value of a mass-customized take into account the various benefits that consumers can experience
product also depends on the uniqueness and self-expressiveness from mass-customization and the product value implication for
benefits that a customer may experience above and beyond the customers [51]. While early literature emphasized the utilitarian
traditionally considered utility of possessing a product that fits with benefit of possessing a product that better fit with one's idiosyncratic
the customer’s functional and aesthetical needs. Increasing functional and aesthetical needs, the recent literature has developed
customer-perceived value by delivering uniqueness and self- more sophisticated knowledge of the value implications of mass
expressiveness benefits can therefore be one key in augmenting the customization to individual customers [20]. In particular, it has
customer’s willingness to pay for a mass-customized product. This recently been acknowledged that providing other benefits in addition
paper conceptually develops and empirically tests the hypotheses to the utilitarian one is crucial in augmenting customers’ willingness
that five sales-configurator capabilities previously defined in to pay.
literature increase uniqueness and self-expressiveness benefits of a Since mass customizers are increasingly adopting Web-based sales
mass-customized product, in addition to the traditionally considered configurators, it is important to understand what characteristics sales
utilitarian benefit. The hypothesized relationships have been tested configurators should have to increase customer-perceived benefits of
by analyzing self-customization experiences made by engineering a mass-customized product. Previous research, however, has focused
students using a set of real Web-based sales configurators of on how sales configurators should be designed to increase the
different consumer goods. The analysis results show that easy traditionally considered utilitarian benefit of owning a self-
comparison, flexible navigation and focused navigation capabilities customized product. The present paper offers additional insights into
have a positive impact on each of the considered benefits, while this issue by conceptually developing and empirically testing
user-friendly product space description and benefit-cost hypotheses on how capabilities deployed by a Web-based sales
communication capabilities have a positive impact on utilitarian configurator can increase the benefits of possessing a mass-
benefit only. The findings of this study complement previous customized product.
research results on what characteristics sales configurators should
have to increase consumer-perceived benefits of mass
2 Background
customization.
2.1 Consumer perceived benefits of a mass-
1 Introduction customized product

According to Pine [42, p.48] mass customization is defined as According to Holbrook [33], every consumption experience
‘‘developing, producing, marketing and delivering affordable goods involves an interaction between a subject and an object, where the
and services with enough variety and customization that nearly subject of interest is a consumer or customer and the object of
everyone finds exactly what they want’’. Nowadays, mass- interest is some product or service. The value that the consumer
customization strategies are more and more widespread and, gains from the consumption experience is created through that
therefore, mass customizers may need to identify unexploited interaction [19]. Mass customization allows customers to ask for
sources of differentiation advantage [35]. new personalized products at a level of individualized tailoring that
was never possible before [1]. Addis and Holbrook [1] identified a
1
Università di Padova, Dipartimento di Tecnica e Gestione dei sistemi trend that the same authors called 'an explosion of subjectivity' [1,
ind.li, Stradella S. Nicola 3, 36100 Vicenza, Italy. E-mail addresses: p.2] to denote the emerging phenomenon of a more widespread role
chiara.grosso@unipd.it (C.Grosso), alessio.trentin@unipd.it (A.Trentin), that individual subjectivity plays in consumption, where the term
cipriano.forza@unipd.it (C.Forza). 'subjectivity' refers to a personal psychological state - that is, one's
own way of feeling, thinking, or perceiving. According to these challenges. For example, Randall et al. [43] suggest that, depending
authors, mass customization implicitly recognizes the growing on a customer’s expertise with a product, a sales configurator
importance of consumer subjectivity. should present either product functions and product performance
Previous mass-customization studies on mass-customized characteristics or design parameters to the potential customer.
product value [26, 38, 26, 47] explain that, in addition to the well- Another example is Chang et al.’s [13] recommendation that a sales
researched utilitarian beneﬁt, there are two benefits, namely configurator provides potential customers with examples of
uniqueness and self-expressiveness benefits, which a consumer conﬁgured products, in order to offer them guidance about what to
could derive from the possession of a mass-customized product. do. More recently, Trentin et al. [56] have conceptualized ﬁve
Utilitarian benefit, according to Merle et al. [38], is a benefit sales-conﬁgurator capabilities based on previous research
deriving from the closeness of fit between product objective recommendations. The definitions of such capabilities are reported
characteristics (i.e. aesthetical and functional characteristics) and in Table 1.
an individual’s preferences. In other terms, utilitarian benefit
derives from the fact that the self-customized product fulfills the Table 1. Sales-configurator capabilities [55]
individual's idiosyncratic functional and aesthetical needs [1]. Capability Definition
The uniqueness benefit of possessing a mass-customized Benefit-cost The ability to effectively communicate the
product is defined by Merle et al [38] as the benefit that a communication consequences of the configuration choices
consumer derives from the opportunity to assert his/her personal made by a potential customer both in terms of
uniqueness by using a customized product. Uniqueness benefit is what he/she would get and in terms of what
related to the symbolic meanings a person attributes to the objects he/she would give
as a result of social construction [12, 52, 49, 53, 29, 39]. Brewer’s User-friendly The ability to adapt the description of a
[8] optimal distinctiveness theory posits that people have product-space company’s product space to the individual
opposing motives to fit in and stand out from social groups. A description characteristics of a potential customer as well
as to the situational characteristics of his/her
series of studies by Brewer and colleagues e.g. [9] has shown that,
using of a sales configurator
whereas threats to one’s inclusionary status produce increased
Easy The ability to support sales-configurator users
attempts to fit in and conform, threats to one’s individuality
comparison in comparing product configurations they have
produce attempts to demonstrate how different one is from the rest previously created
of the group. Consequently, uniqueness benefit deriving from a Flexible The ability to let sales-configurator users
mass-customized product will meet the individual need to assert navigation easily and quickly modify a product
his/her own personality by differentiating his/her self from others configuration they have previously created or
[21, 50]. are currently creating
Self-expressiveness benefit is defined by Merle et al. 38] as the Focused The ability to quickly focus a potential
benefit that originates from the opportunity to possess a product navigation customer’s search on those solutions of a
that is a reflection of the consumer’s image. This is in accordance company’s product space that are most
with the self-consistency motive underlying self-concept, where relevant to the customer himself/herself
the term “self-consistency” denotes the tendency for an individual
to behave consistently with his/her view of his/her self [48]. Like Previous studies on sales configurators, however, have typically
uniqueness, self-expressiveness benefit is related to the symbolic regarded the mass-customized product only as a source of utilitarian
meanings a person attributes to the objects as a result of social benefits related to the fulfillment of customers’ functional and
construction [12, 52, 49, 53, 29, 39]. According to Belk [4], aesthetical needs. As discussed in the previous section, however, a
possessions are often extension of the self. As Belk states, "people mass-customized product can also be a source of beneﬁts resulting
seek, express, confirm, and ascertain a sense of being through from uniqueness and self-expressiveness. What characteristics a
what they have" [4, p.146]. The above statement implicitly relates sales conﬁgurator should have to increase uniqueness and self-
identity with consumption. Consumers deliberately acquire things expressiveness beneﬁts is therefore a question that deserves
and engage in consumption practices to achieve a pre-conceived additional research, as previously pointed out by Schreier [47] or
notion of their selves [46]. Thus, a mass-customized product will Franke and Schreier [28].
accomplish an individual’s need for self-consistency through the
possession of a product that is a reflection of his/her self. 3 Research hypotheses

2.2 Sales configurators In addressing the question raised at the end of the previous
section, we draw upon the five sales-configurator capabilities
Consistent with previous research [23, 32, 30], we deﬁne sales conceptualized by Trentin et al.[55, 56] based on prior research on
conﬁgurators as knowledge-based software applications that sales configurators. For each of these capabilities, we develop
support a potential customer, or a sales-person interacting with the hypotheses about its effects on both uniqueness benefit and self-
customer, in completely and correctly specifying a product expressiveness benefit, as well as on the traditionally considered
solution within a company’s product offer. utilitarian benefit of possessing a mass-customized product.
The beneﬁts and challenges of implementing and using a sales In the existing literature, a number of studies make the point that,
conﬁgurator have been the focus of several researches e.g., [54, to increase the utilitarian benefit of possessing a mass-customized
23, 34, 57, 58, 30-31]. Relatively less studies, however, have product, a sales configurator should support a company’s potential
addressed the question of what characteristics a sales configurator customer in learning about the options available within the
should have to increase such benefits and alleviate such company’s solution space, in learning about how these options are
useful in fulfilling his/her preferences and in learning about his/her description reduces the risk that the configuration task is too
preferences themselves e.g., [62, 43, 44] The more a sales difficult and, therefore, the user reacts with frustration. At the same
configurator supports such a learning process about one or more of time, such a sales configurator alleviates the risk that the
these aspects during the configuration task, the more a potential configuration task is too easy and, thus, the individual gets bored. In
customer is enabled to create, within a company’s product space, both cases, the effectiveness of the learning process would be
the configuration that best fits with his/her objective needs [59, undermined [3, 63, 41].
25]. Prior research has focused on product fit with an individual’s A sales configurator with a higher level of focused navigation
functional and aesthetical needs, which leads to the traditionally capability increases learning effects by tailoring the sales
considered utilitarian benefit. However, this also applies to configuration experience to each individual user’s characteristics on
product fit with an individual’s need for asserting his/her own the interaction level [36]. A sales configurator with this capability
personality by differentiating his/her self from others. enables its users to freely prioritize their choices regarding the
Consequently, such a learning process also augments the various attributes of a product and, therefore, allows them to
uniqueness benefit that a customer will enjoy from the possession quickly eliminate options they regard as certainly inappropriate
of the configured product. Finally, this also applies to product fit from further consideration [56]. In addition, such a sales
with an individual’s need for behaving consistently with his/her configurator enables its users to decide for themselves how many
view of his/her self by possessing a product that reflects his/her configuration options they want to tackle, as not all potential
self concept. Accordingly, such a learning process also increases customers are necessarily interested in, and/or able to fully exploit
the self-expressiveness benefit that a customer will derive from the the potential of customization offered by a company [43]. In this
product configuration eventually purchased. manner, this kind of sales configurator reduces the risk that the
Clearly, the more effective the learning process enabled by a configuration task is frustrating as well as the risk that it is boring,
sales configurator, the greater the utilitarian benefit, the and both of these situations would undermine the effectiveness of
uniqueness benefit and the self-expressiveness benefit of the learning process [3, 63, 41].
possessing the configured product. While Franke and Hader [25, A sales configurator with a higher level of benefit-cost
p.16] find that the learning effects of single self-customization communication capability promotes a potential customer’s learning
experiences lasting only a few minutes with sales configurators process by providing him/her with better pre-purchase feedback on
“that were not even specifically designed for learning purposes are the effects of his/her configuration choices. Such a sales
remarkable”, we argue that such learning effects are greater if a configurator is more effective in explaining the benefits the
sales configurator deploys a higher level of each of the capabilities customer would derive from consumption of the configured
conceptualized by Trentin et al. [55, 56] based on prior research product, as well as the monetary and nonmonetary sacrifices that
on sales configurators. the customer would bear for obtaining that product [56]. For
A sales configurator with a higher level of flexible navigation example, a sales configurator with a higher level of benefit-cost
capability allows a potential customer to go through a greater communication capability takes advantage of three-dimensional
number of complete trial-and-error cycles to evaluate the effects of Web and virtual try-on technologies to more closely simulate
his/her prior choices and to improve upon them. This is because customers’ real-world interactions with their configured products
this kind of sales configurator allows its users to change, at any [18, 14]. As the feedback provided by the sales configurator
step of the configuration process, the choice they made at any improves, so does the effectiveness of the potential customer’s
previous stage without having to begin the process all over again learning process [10].
and allows them to immediately recover a previous configuration Finally, a sales configurator with a higher level of easy
in case they decide to reject the newly-created one [56]. By comparison capability increases learning effects by providing better
conducting more trial-and-error tests, the potential customer learns pre-purchase feedback on the effects of the configuration choices
more about the available choice options and the value he/she made by a potential customer. This is because such a sales
would derive from them [59, 60]. configurator allows its users to compare previously-saved
A sales configurator with a higher level of user-friendly product configurations on the same screen and to rank-order them based on
space description capability promotes a potential customer’s some criterion that is meaningful to the users [56]. Again, the better
learning process by increasing the congruence between the the feedback provided, the more effective the customer’s learning
challenges of the configuration task and the abilities of the process [10].
configurator user. This is because a sales configurator with this As each of the sales configurator capabilities mentioned above
capability presents product space information to potential make the learning process more effective and the effectiveness of
customers using the most suitable format (e.g., text, image, such a learning process increases the utilitarian benefit, the
animation,…) depending on their skill levels and cognitive styles uniqueness benefit and the self-expressiveness benefit of the
and offers different types of choices (e.g., among product configured product eventually purchased, we posit the following
functions and performance levels rather than among product hypotheses, which are graphically summarized in Figure 1.
components, or vice versa) according to the users’ prior
HXa. The higher the level of ﬂexible navigation capability
knowledge about the product [56]. In addition, such a sales
(H1a), focus navigation capability (H2a), benefit-cost
configurator allows its users to decide for themselves how many
communication capability (H3a), user-friendly product space
feedback details they want to tackle, without forcing them to description (H4a), easy comparison capability (H5a) deployed by a
process information content they do not value [56]. By tailoring sales conﬁgurator, the greater the utilitarian beneﬁt that a consumer
the sales configuration experience to each individual user’s derives from a product self-customized using that conﬁgurator.
characteristics on both the content and presentation levels [36], a
sales configurator with higher user-friendly product space HXb. The higher the level of ﬂexible navigation capability
(H1b), focus navigation capability (H2b), benefit-cost three conﬁgurators for each product category, and (iii) each of the
communication capability (H3b), user-friendly product space triples assigned to each participant included at least one product
description (H4b), easy comparison capability (H5b) deployed by a configurator with a high mean score of the five capabilities within the
sales conﬁgurator, the greater the uniqueness beneﬁt that a corresponding product category and at least one conﬁgurator with a
consumer derives from a product self-customized using that low mean score of the ﬁve capabilities within the same product
conﬁgurator. category.
HXc. The higher the level of ﬂexible navigation capability The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling,
(H1c), focus navigation capability (H2c), benefit-cost using LISREL 8.80. Following Anderson and Gerbing [2], we
communication capability (H3c), user-friendly product space decided to adopt a two-step approach, assessing construct validity
description (H4c), easy comparison capability (H5c) deployed by a before the simultaneous estimation of the measurement and structural
sales conﬁgurator, the greater the self-expressiveness beneﬁt that a models. Moreover, since our variables did not meet the assumption
consumer derives from a product self-customized using that of multivariate normal distribution (Mardia’s test significant at
conﬁgurator. p<0.001), we applied the Satorra-Bentler correction to produce
robust maximum likelihood estimates of standard errors and Chi-
square. Prior to conducting the analysis, Prior to conducting the
analysis, we decided to control for possible effects of participants’
characteristics. Consequently, and consistent with prior studies (e.g.,
[37, 56]), we regressed our observed indicators on 75 dummies
representing the participants in our study and used the standardized
residuals from this linear, ordinary least square regression model as
our data in all the subsequent analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis
(CFA) was subsequently employed to assess unidimensionality,
convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability of our
measurement scales. We tested a CFA model specifying the posited
relations of the observed variables to the underlying latent constructs,
with these constructs allowed to correlate freely [2]. Our CFA model
showed good fit indices (RMSEA (90% CI)= 0.0489 (0.0445;
0.0533), GFI=0.927, NFI=0.987), meaning that the hypothesized
factor structure reproduced the sample data well. The standardized
factor loadings were all in the anticipated direction, greater than 0.50
and statistically significant at p<0.001. Altogether, these results
Figure 1. Research hypotheses overview suggested unidimensionality (i.e., a set of empirical indicators reflect
one, and only one, underlying latent factor) and good convergent
4 Method validity (i.e., the multiple items used as indicators of a construct
significantly converge) of our measurement scales [11, 2].
To test our hypotheses we conducted an empirical analysis using Discriminant validity, which measures the extent to which the
data collected from a sample of 675 sales-configuration experiences individual items of a construct are unique and do not measure other
made by 75 students at the authors’ university (age range: 24-27; constructs, was tested using [22] procedure. For each latent construct,
30% females). Each participant was asked to make one mass- the square root of the average variance extracted (AVE) exceeded the
customization experience on each of nine pre-assigned Web-based correlation with all the other latent variables, thus suggesting that our
sales conﬁgurators and, for each experience, to fill out a measurement scales represent distinct latent variables [22].
questionnaire covering the constructs of interest (see Appendix A), Reliability of the measurement scales was assessed using both AVE
for a total of 675 mass-customization experiences. Each experience and the Werts, Linn and Joreskog (WLJ) composite reliability (C.R.)
involved browsing the sales-conﬁguration website and conﬁguring method [61]. All the WLJ composite reliability values were greater
one product from start to ﬁnish, on that website, according to one’s than 0.70 and all the AVE scores largely exceeded 0.50. This
own preferences. The nine sales conﬁgurators assigned to each indicates that a large amount of the variance is captured by each
participant were chosen from a set of 30 real Web- based latent construct rather than being due to measurement error [22, 40].
conﬁgurators of consumer goods. The set included ten conﬁgurators
of notebooks/laptops (e.g., www.dell.com), nine conﬁgurators of 5 Results
sports shoes/sneakers (e.g., www.converse.com) and eleven
conﬁgurators of economy cars (e.g., www.volkswagen.com). The After establishing measurement scale reliability and validity for
inclusion of multiple product categories, ranging from relatively the focal constructs, we estimated the full model including the
simple products with relatively few conﬁguration steps to more hypothesized relationships among the same constructs. Our
complex products with more conﬁguration steps, was motivated by hypotheses were that all five sales-configurator capabilities increase
the aim of increasing the variation ranges of the independent consumer-perceived utilitarian benefit, uniqueness benefit and self-
variables within our sample. To further increase the differences expressiveness benefit of a mass-customized product. Accordingly,
among the mass-customization experiences comprising our sample, all five capabilities were modeled as impacting both utilitarian
we assigned sales conﬁgurators to participants according to the benefit and uniqueness benefit and self-expressiveness benefit.
following rules: (i) no pairs of participants were assigned the same Table 2 reports the LISREL estimates of the path coefficients and
combination of conﬁgurators, (ii) each participant was assigned the corresponding t values. In assessing whether a hypothesis is
supported or not, we adopted a p value of 5% as a threshold. This levels of benefit-cost communication and user-friendly product
is a conservative choice, as a cut-off value of 10% is often used in space description capabilities, provide feedback information with
literature. content and format that are appropriate for promoting potential
customers’ learning about the possibility to fulfill customers’
Table 2. Path coefficients of the estimated model functional and aesthetical needs through the consumption of a
BCC EC FlexN FocN UFD configured product, but are not appropriate for supporting the same
UT Coeff. § 0,283*** 0,102*** 0,132** 0,379*** 0,146* learning process as far as satisfaction of uniqueness and self-
†
t value 3,654 3,669 2,735 5,237 2,451 consistency needs are concerned. However, these are conjectures;
UN Coeff. § 0,004 0,299*** 0,304*** 0,253* 0,034 further research is needed on this issue.
†
t value 0,036 6,773 4,106 2,537 0,42 The present paper contributes to the debate as to what
§
SE Coeff. 0,148 0,19*** 0,151** 0,337*** 0,06 characteristics sales configurators should have to increase
†
t value 1,82 5,346 2,612 4,137 0,95 consumers’ willingness to buy as well as consumers’ willingness to
UT = utilitarian benefit BCC = benefit-cost communication pay for a mass-customized product. This debate has typically
UN = uniqueness benefit EC = easy comparison focused on a twofold objective: (i) alleviating the difficulty that a
SE = self-expressiveness UFD = user-friendly product-space
consumer experiences in self-customizing a product with a sales
benefit description
FlexN = flexible navigation configurator and in making a purchase decision and (ii) increasing
FocN = focused navigation the utilitarian benefit deriving from the closeness of fit between the
Significant at: *** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05. objective characteristics of the configured product and the
†
Cut-off t value: 10%: 1.645; 5%: 1.960; 1%: 2.576; 0.1%: 3.29. consumer’s functional and aesthetical needs. Several
recommendations have been made by prior, both conceptual and
As regards utilitarian benefit, all the estimated path coefﬁcients empirical studies joining this debate, and many of these
were positive, as hypothesized, and statistically signiﬁcant at p< recommendations are subsumed by the five sales-configurator
0.05, indicating that all our hypotheses regarding the utilitarian capabilities considered in this study [56]. Higher levels of these
benefit are supported. As regards uniqueness benefit, the estimated capabilities have been found as predicting both higher levels of
path coefficients were positive, as hypothesized, and statistically satisfaction with the configured product and higher levels of
significant at p< 0.05 for easy comparison, flexible navigation and purchase intention [56]. More recently, the debate has been
focused navigation capabilities, but not for benefit-cost enriched by the consideration of the benefits that a consumer can
communication and user-friendly product space description gain from the experience of self-customizing a product using a sales
capabilities. Therefore, only three of our five hypotheses are configurator above and beyond those deriving from the possession
supported. The same pattern of results was found with regard to of the configured product. In particular, Trentin et al. [55] find that
self-expressiveness benefit. It is worthwhile noting, however, that the same five sales-configurator capabilities considered in the
the estimated path coefficient between benefit-cost present study increase hedonic benefit, which stems from the
communication capability and self-expressiveness benefit is capacity of the experience to be gratifying per se, regardless of the
statistically significant at p< 0.10, though not at p< 0.05. completion of the configuration task, and creative-achievement
benefit, which derives from the capacity of the experience to arouse,
in combination with the configured product, the positive emotion of
6 Conclusions pride of authorship. The present study makes an additional
contribution to this debate by examining the impacts of the same
6.1 Discussion of results and related work five sales-configurator capabilities on another two benefits that a
consumer can enjoy by purchasing a mass-customized product, in
The analysis results support the hypotheses that easy addition to the traditionally considered utilitarian benefit: namely,
comparison, flexible navigation and focused navigation the benefits of uniqueness and self-expressiveness.
capabilities raise not only the utilitarian benefit of possessing a Related work has been conducted in the domain of recommender
mass-customized product, but also its uniqueness and self- technologies. Like Web-based sales configurators, recommender
expressiveness benefits. These findings improve our applications are intended to support online customers in making
understanding of how product configurators should be designed to purchase decisions [45]. With a focus on knowledge-based
increase customers’ willingness to pay for a mass-customized recommender applications, Felfernig et al. [16] empirically examine
product by triggering uniqueness and self-expressiveness benefits, the effects of a number of possible features of such applications on
in addition to utilitarian benefit. a variety of outcome variables, including a consumer’s willingness
As regards user-friendly product space description and benefit- to buy and his/her trust in that the application recommended the
cost communication capabilities, however, only the hypotheses optimal solution. The examined features include the provision of a
that they increase utilitarian benefit are supported, while the others justification for why a product fits to a certain customer, the
are not. Two possible explanations can be provided for these possibility of making product comparisons, and the fitting of the
unexpected findings. One explanation revolves around the notion interactive user-recommender dialog to the user’s product domain
of functional fixedness. Functional fixedness is the phenomenon in knowledge. These features are captured by the capabilities of
which an individual finds difficulties in attributing and benefit-cost communication, easy comparison and user-friendly
recognizing different types of relationships between objects product space description which are considered in the present study.
presented to him/her during decision-making processes or Interestingly, Felfernig et al. [16] find that the recommender
problem-solving situations [15]. Another possible explanation is versions exhibiting such features are associated with higher ratings
that the existing sales-configurators, even when they deploy higher of users’ trust in the recommended products, which in turn is
positively associated with users’ willingness to buy the products. has for me.
This result is echoed by our findings that benefit-cost BCC2 Thanks to this system, I realized the advantages and
communication, easy comparison and user-friendly product space drawbacks of each of the options I had to choose from.
capabilities predict the utilitarian benefit deriving from the BCC3 This system made me exactly understand what value
possession of a mass-customized product. the product I was configuring had for me.

6.2 Limitations and further research Easy comparison capability(a)
EC1 The system enables easy comparison of product
The present research is not without limitations, which might be configurations previously created by the user.
addressed in future research. A primary limitation lies in the fact EC2 The system lets you easily understand what previously
the empirical study was conducted with engineering students and created configurations have in common.
using only three categories of consumer goods. While engineering EC3 The system enables side-by-side comparison of the
students are undeniably potential buyers of the considered details of previously saved configurations.
products, they constitute a biased sample of the potential EC4 The systems lets you easily understand the differences
customers of such goods. In addition, these products represent between previously created configurations.
only a small subset of consumer goods. A wider set of products
would strengthen the generalizability of the results. Consequently, User-friendly product-space description capability(a)
future research should seek to replicate our ﬁndings in truly UFD1 The system gives an adequate presentation of the
representative samples of potential customers and should use a choice options for when you are in a hurry, as well as
wider set of consumer goods. when you have enough time to go into the details.
Another limitation of the present study is its focus on the main UFD2 The product features are adequately presented for the
effects [17] of the ﬁve considered sales-configurator capabilities user who just wants to find out about them, as well as
on the three consumer-perceived beneﬁts of interest. In line with for the user who wants to go into specific details.
this focus, we neglect possible interaction effects between the ﬁve UFD3 The choice options are adequately presented for both
capabilities as well as possible contingency effects. Future studies the expert and inexpert user of the product.
should be designed to overcome this limitation.
Flexible navigation capability(a)
FlexN1 The system enables you to change some of the choices
6.3 Managerial implications
you have previously made during the configuration
process without having to start it over again.
While having its limitations, our study not only reinforces the
FlexN2 With this system, it takes very little effort to modify
importance of the research on the role of sales configurators in
the choices you have previously made during the
mass-customization strategies, but also provides useful managerial
configuration process.
implications. By considering additional benefits, besides the
FlexN3 Once you have completed the configuration process,
utilitarian one, our study increases practitioners’ awareness that
this system enables you to quickly change any choice
sales/product conﬁgurators can be an effective tool to augment the
made during that process.
consumer-perceived beneﬁts of possessing a mass-customized
product. Exploiting such sources of differentiation advantages as
Focused navigation capability(a)
the fulfillment of consumers’ needs for uniqueness and self-
FocN1 The system made me immediately understand which
expressiveness can be one key for a company to augment the value
way to go to find what I needed.
of its mass-customization strategy. For those firms that are
FocN2 The system enabled me to quickly eliminate from
interested in fulfilling consumers’ needs for uniqueness and self-
further consideration everything that was not
expressiveness, our theoretical explanations and our empirical
interesting to me at all.
results highlight the importance of adopting sales configurators
FocN3 The system immediately led me to what was more
with higher levels of easy comparison, flexible navigation and
interesting to me.
focused navigation capabilities. This is another step in the
FocN4 This system quickly leads the user to those solutions
direction of providing practitioners with prescriptive indications
that best meet his/her requirements.
on how sales configurators should be designed to increase the
benefits of possessing mass-customized products.
Utilitarian benefit(b)
UT1 This product is exactly what I had hoped for.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS UT2 I could create the product that was the most adapted to
what I was looking for.
We acknowledge the financial support of the University of Padova, UT3 I could create the product I really wanted to have.
Project ID CPDA129273.
Uniqueness benefit(b)
UN1 With this product, I will not look like everybody else.
APPENDIX A. Measurement instrument UN2 With this program, I could design a product that others
Benefit-cost communication capability(a) will not have.
BCC1 Thanks to this system, I understood how the various UN3 With this product, I have my small element of
choice options influence the value that this product differentiation compared to others.
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