The Questions Executives Should Ask About 3D Printing

3D printing is poised to redefine global manufacturing and distribution. It could upend supply chains, business models, customer relationships, and even entrepreneurship itself. It may do to physical goods what cloud computing is now doing to digital services; what the PC, internet, and smart mobility have done to personal computing; and what outsourcing did to software development and business processing — take mass distribution and innovation to the next level while realigning the very geography of work and trade.

Inherently, digital printing’s “additive” manufacturing process promises to be less costly than more conventional “subtractive” manufacturing techniques — think about printing something layer by layer instead of milling a block of material into a final product. Innovation, customization, speed, and location are also among the opportunities it offers. The technology is expected to lead to reductions in the cost of employment, capital investment, shipping and inventory as well. For example, printing products on demand would significantly reduce the U.S. $1.7 trillion in inventories held by U.S. manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, according to a leading technology industry analyst. Read more at Harvard Business Review.