Delayed differentiation

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Postponement/aoCBXj0H">Postponement</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Mass_customization/UWu7jQ69">Mass customization</a></li></ul>
<p>Typically all paint companies were burdened with the problem of having more than 200 shades, each available in more than 5 container sizes, making more than 1000 <a href="/facts/Stock_keeping_unit/EF6UD3Qs">stock keeping units</a>. The cost of keeping so many final products was almost killing the business. 
</p><p>Paint companies changed their process to make white paint and the dyes of three basic colours. The final mixing was done by a machine at the retail end. This minimised the inventory kept by the retailer whilst improving customer service by giving the customer a choice of millions of shades in the exact quantity required.
</p>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Ulrich, Karl (2011). Product Design and Development. McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 197, 198. ISBN 978-0073404776. <a href="978-0073404776" target="_blank">978-0073404776</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Delayed differentiation open-in-new

Delayed differentiation