The effect of the quality-oriented production approach on the delivery of prefabricated homes in Japan

Abstract

During the 1960s and 1970s, Japanese housing manufacturers focused solely on the 'mass production' of their products, resulting in a supply of virtually identical, rather monotonous houses. Due to the 'inferior' image associated with the low-quality appearance of these houses, the public immediately rejected them. Since then, manufacturers have placed greater emphasis on improving industrialized housing quality, and thereby customer satisfaction, such that today Japanese housing manufacturers enjoy a reputation for providing quality housing that, while still mass-produced, is customized - i.e., 'mass customization'. In order to meet today's diverse demands for housing, Japanese manufacturers..