Linking Big Data Analytics Capability And Supply Chain Visibility To Mass Customization Capability

The intense global competition,released heterogeneous demands,complex supply chain systems,and updating information technology drive enterprises to change the manufacturing paradigm.Mass customization provides a productive way for competitive advantages.Directed by a “dual circulation” development strategy,manufacturers in China have given more attention and efforts to mass customization capability.However,satisfying customized design and mass production simultaneously,mass customization capability would be hindered by the consequent supply chain uncertainties.In the era of big data,advanced analytics and digital instruments of supply chain management can provide effective solutions to this problem.Despite acknowledging the driving role of big data analytics capability on mass customization capability,the mechanism of the relationship needs theoretical analysis and empirical supports.Thus,it is necessary to explore how big data analytics capability achieves mass customization performance effectively.After a thorough literature review,this study adopts the logic of resource-based view and organization information processing theory to construct the conceptual model.The corresponding hypotheses are further developed,which depicts the path linking big data analytics capability and mass customization capability through supply chain visibility under the moderating role of inter-organizational learning.The research mainly includes three parts:(1)how big data analytics capability(technical skills,managerial skills,and data-driven decision-making culture)affects(product-and service-oriented)mass customization capability,(2)what is the role of supply chain(demand and supply)visibility in the relationship between big data analytics capability and mass customization capability,(3)whether does inter-organizational learning moderate the impacts of supply chain visibility.Using multivariate regression and bootstrapping method to analyze survey data from 277 Chinese manufacturing firms,all research hypotheses are empirically tested.The findings are as follows:(1)Besides the insignificant impact of technical skills on product-oriented mass customization capability,big data analytics capability can positively influence mass customization capability.(2)Between the three dimensions of big data analytics capability and product-oriented mass customization capability,demand visibility does not exert mediating effects but supply visibility does.Demand and supply visibility together mediates the impacts of three dimensions of big data analytics capability on two kinds of mass customization capability.(3)Inter-organizational learning negatively moderates the effects of demand visibility in the influence path,but has no significant moderating effect on the mediating role of supply visibility.This study deepens the understanding of the impact mechanism of big data analytics capability on mass customization capability,and develops the theoretical contents of organizational information processing theory.Meanwhile,this study also suggests considering the substitution role of other learning mechanisms to acquire external knowledge when introducing big data technology for improved performance,which would provide guidance and managerial directions for investment decisions.