Personalisation management in supply networks: an empirical study within the footwear industry

Personalisation is a growing challenge, particularly for footwear companies strongly influenced by customer preferences. Previous research showed significant differences between footwear supply networks that provide personalised products, especially regarding key variables, such as the level of demand uncertainty, type of productive capacity, type of purchasing and order dimensions. However no studies have considered these variables simultaneously, thus failing to provide a complete understanding. Moreover, previous studies on personalisation primarily focused on product features by identifying the different types of collections available without analysing implications for supply networks. To fill these gaps, we adopted a multiple case study methodology. Based on findings, we identified different personalisation types (individual personalisation, segmented personalisation, personalisation for distributor) and compared them to the case in which personalisation is not available. This work demonstrates that a company can develop and deliver different types of personalised collections, but this requires the management of different supply networks.