Mass customization for social housing project delivery: a case study

This article presents results of a study which aimed to verify the applicability of Mass Customization (MC), used by the manufacturing industry for being more effective in meeting customer demands, in the context of SHP production in the Minha Casa Minha VIda project (MCMVP). The research consisted of a literature review, searching for a conceptual overview of MC, as well as the development of a case study in a housing company.

This study comprised a requirements analysis of a two-year SHP company to verify the characteristics and diversity of users´ requirements not met, and an information flow map from registering families interested in SHP (demand) to handing over the keys to the families and identifying barriers and opportunities of using MC. The results indicate the applicability of the segmented MC and, using prefabricated technology, the possibility of including specific requirements of the client before handing over the keys.