3rd and last presentation about 3D printing. Talsom team analyzes what is the best approach to implement 3D printing in an organization.

1. How to Implement 3D
Printing in Your
Organization
Part III

2. Agenda
1. Why Bother With 3DP? - recap
2. Strategic Framework
3. Implementation Framework
4. Closing Remarks
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3. Why Bother?
• “Innovation in production technology is a powerful competitive weapon, bringing other
strategic advantages besides achieving low costs including, superior quality, shorter
delivery cycles, lower inventories, lower investments in equipment, shorter new product
development cycles and new production economics.” (Skinner, 1984)
• “Technology is perhaps the most important single source of major market share changes
among competitors and is the prominent cause of the demise of an entrenched dominant
firm” (Porter, 1985).
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4. 3DP Strategic Framework – Where to Start?
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It can be difficult to align all the elements required for
success, such as strategy and operations, human
capital, technology and financial advisory.

5. Strategic Framework
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Source: Deloitte. (2014). Disruptive manufacturing: The effects of 3D printing. In Deloitte (Ed.)

6. Initial Questions
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How will you keep your company’s
business model relevant?
How will you prepare for new competitors,
including new entrants and DIYers?
Do the current benefits of 3D printing (low cost,
high customization, delivery close to point of use)
challenge your existing product line?
Do future areas of 3D printing research pose a
threat?

7. Investing in 3DP
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Where should your company make
capital investments today?
What training and education investments are
required?
What investments should your company avoid?

8. Networks and Relationships
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What is the new relationship between IT
and manufacturing? Between IT and
product designers, scientists and
engineers?
How can IT use 3D printing to enable
manufacturing, not overtake it?

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Source: Deloitte. (2014). Disruptive manufacturing: The effects of 3D printing. In Deloitte (Ed.)

10. 3DP Implementation Framework
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Source: Mellor, S., Hao, L., & Zhang, D. (2014). Additive manufacturing: A framework for implementation. International Journal of Production Economics, 149(0),
194-201

11. Strategic Factors
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• Requirement of strategic alignment between business,
manufacturing, and R&D strategy.
• The technology benefits from 3DP must be linked to the
capabilities required of the manufacturing unit,
capabilities derived from the business strategy.
• Product characteristics:
– Products with increased functionality through
design optimisation
– Products of low volume

12. Technological Factors
• Firms must understand the trade-offs in using new manufacturing technology
– material range remains low,
– machine and material costs remain high, and,
– process speeds are relatively slow
• The lack of technical standards also presents a major barrier to adoption.
– Some of these characteristics of AM are likely due to their relative immaturity and managers should be
aware of this when deciding whether to adopt.
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13. Organizational Factors
• Implementation for an SME is likely to be different to
that in a large multinational company
• The structure of an organisation is the key factor to
successfully implementing manufacturing technology
– Workforce experience and skill is also a key factor in 3DP
implementation.
• Companies that adopt without first re-designing
organisational structures and processes encounter high
difficulties
– 3DP brings change in jobs and tasks, and thus a change in
work practices and structure as well
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14. Operational Factors
• Impacts on product designs and designers
– require new design tools and practices to be developed
– designers understanding of the new design for 3DP constraints will be an influential factor the
implementation approach
• Production planning and quality control will also be impacted
– Research on AM process planning is still lacking
• Substantial information gap regarding the true cost of 3DP systems, implementation and
operation.
Four key cost factors : operation times, machine costs, labour costs and material costs.
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15. Supply Chain Factors
• Restructuring of relationships with suppliers towards
more collaborative forms.
– Vendor support after implementation is a key success
factor
• Current tendency for machine suppliers to be material
suppliers (such as the powders used) following
implementation.
– partly due to the immaturity of the technology (with a
shortage of material suppliers) and also likely a strategy
on the machine supplier's part to protect future business
• Distribution of manufacturing according to demand
locations
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16. Closing Remarks
• Substantial planning must be carried out prior to implementation
• Must ensure internal capacities are sufficient and that market opportunities exist
• Importance of creating a business case for 3DP
• Understanding and exploring the potential information gaps:
– Project processes
– Costs
– Technology capabilities
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