CS-Introduction Product platform The effectiveness of a firm's new product generation lies in: Its ability to create a continuous stream of successful new products over an extended period of time; The attractiveness of these products to the target market niches; The essence of mass customization is to maximize such a match of internal capabilities with external market needs; A product platform is impelled to provide the necessary taxonomy for positioning different products and the underpinning structure describing the interrelationships between various products with respect to customer requirements,competition information,and fulfillment processes; 国 This implicates two aspects: to represent the entire product portfolio,including both existing products and proactively anticipated ones,by characterizing various perceived customer needs,and to incorporate proven designs,materials,and process technologieCS- Introduction Product platform The effectiveness of a firm’s new product generation lies in: • Its ability to create a continuous stream of successful new products over an extended period of time; • The attractiveness of these products to the target market niches; • The essence of mass customization is to maximize such a match of internal capabilities with external market needs; A product platform is impelled to provide the necessary taxonomy for positioning different products and the underpinning structure describing the interrelationships between various products with respect to customer requirements, competition information, and fulfillment processes; This implicates two aspects: • to represent the entire product portfolio, including both existing products and proactively anticipated ones, by characterizing various perceived customer needs, and • to incorporate proven designs, materials, and process technologies;