Manufacturing companies face many challenges today, one of these is how to successfully meet increasingly diverse customer needs. This could be achieved through customisation. This paper elucidates how mass customization could be enabled by companies adding more services to their customized products. This 'servicification' of products is made available by integrated product service engineering. This paper also describes how products and services can be developed in coherence through an integrated product service engineering approach. Furthermore, a software supporting this approach along with customisation named Service Explorer is described. This paper presents a case study of a forklift truck manufacturer called Toyota Material Handling Group (TMHG). TMHG customise their product/service offerings and by doing so they can offer its customers increased value than only selling standard forklift trucks. TMHG has managed to create successful customised offerings for its customers. However, with a more integrated development, TMHG could become even more successful.

Manufacturers at present face new circumstances in terms of consumer services and serious environmental problems. An effective way to deal with these circumstances may be to pursue qualitative satisfaction rather than quantitative sufficiency. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of Service Engineering, including the service design process model, to increase customer satisfaction. The redesign of services offered by a global warehouse manufacturer is used as an example of the application. Four redesign options, such as rapid delivery of components and a robust electrical system, were generated. The effectiveness of the method was demonstrated by the application.

OBJECTIVES--Mounting evidence suggests that asbestos fibres can stimulate alveolar macrophages to generate the potent inflammatory and fibrogenic mediator, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and that this may play an important part in the onset and development of airway inflammation and lung fibrosis due to asbestos fibre inhalation. Little is known, however, about the ability of other mineral fibres to initiate formation and release of TNF-alpha by alveolar macrophages. Therefore the effects of different fibres (crocidolite, chrysotile A, chrysotile B, two man made mineral fibres (MMVF 21 and MMVF 22), a ceramic fibre (RCF 1), and a silicon carbide whisker fibre (SiCwh)) on formation and release of TNF-alpha by rat alveolar macrophages were examined. METHODS--Cells were isolated and incubated at 37 degrees C with the different fibres, or with culture medium alone (controls), and the amounts of TNF-alpha messenger RNA (mRNA) in the cells and TNF-alpha bioactivity released into the culture medium were measured at different time points. RESULTS--Significantly (P < 0.05 v control) increased amounts of TNF-alpha mRNA were found in cells exposed to crocidolite, chrysotile A, chrysotile B, MMVF 21, RCF 1, or SiCwh for 90 minutes, and significantly (P < 0.05 v control) increased activities of TNF-alpha were found in the medium of macrophages exposed to crocidolite, chrysotile A, chrysotile B, or MMVF 21 for four hours. CONCLUSION--These observations suggest that not only natural mineral fibres but also certain man made mineral fibres are able to induce the formation and release of TNF-alpha by alveolar macrophages in vitro.