Disrupting supply chains with 3D printing

Despite it being integral to them, manufacturing is all too frequently forgotten when defining the size and shape of supply chains. Optimisation efforts typically focus on warehousing, sourcing and transport; however, that is changing. New manufacturing technologies are giving supply chain decision makers far greater freedoms than they have ever had, led by the emergence of 3D printing from being a tool for design and prototyping to making items destined for end uses. Now over 30 years old, this group of technologies enables established supply chains to radically increase their flexibility, to reduce lead times and costs, and to offer their customers far higher service levels in terms of what they provide and how it is provided. This paper will look at the impact of 3D printing on the individual elements of the supply chain, examining the benefits that it brings, balancing those with the constraints and current broader considerations that decision makers need to consider. It will then describe how organisations can go about evaluating whether it is right for them and, where there is a case to be make, how to go about identifying which approaches to take in deciding what to use it for and how to adopt it.