Unlocking the Potential of Mass Customization Through Industry 4.0: Mapping Research Streams and Future Directions

Mass customization (MC) has become a pivotal manufacturing strategy for addressing the growing demand for personalized products without compromising cost efficiency and scalability. The emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has further expanded the potential of MC by enabling intelligent, flexible, and interconnected production systems. This paper presents a systematic literature review covering the period from 2011 to 2024, aimed at examining how I4.0 technologies influenced the conceptual evolution, technological enablers, and supply chain implications of MC. A total of 3441 publications were retrieved from Scopus and analyzed using a combination of bibliometric mapping and qualitative synthesis. The review identifies three primary research streams: (1) MC conceptual frameworks and performance metrics, (2) enabling technologies and methods across the product lifecycle, and (3) supply chain strategies tailored to MC environments. Key enablers such as product modularity, customer co-design platforms, additive manufacturing, and reconfigurable production systems are discussed, along with barriers related to complexity, integration challenges, and sustainability trade-offs. The study highlights a gradual convergence toward mass personalization, supported by real-time data, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics. The findings offer a structured understanding of MC in the I4.0 context and point toward future research opportunities involving digital twin integration, cross-disciplinary implementation models, and sustainability-driven customization frameworks.