The use
of 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has moved well beyond
prototyping, rapid tooling, trinkets, and toys. Companies such as GE, Lockheed
Martin, and BMW are switching to it for industrial production at scale. More
companies will follow as the range of printable materials continues to expand.
Already available are basic plastics, photosensitive resins, ceramics, cement,
glass, numerous metals, thermoplastic composites (some infused with carbon
nanotubes and fibers), and even stem cells. In this article the author makes
the case that additive manufacturing will gain ground quickly, given advantages
such as greater flexibility, fewer assembly steps and other cost savings, and
enhanced product-design possibilities. Managers, D’Aveni writes, should now be
engaging with strategic questions on three levels: Sellers of tangible products
should ask how their offerings could be improved, whether by themselves or by
competitors. Industrial enterprises should revisit their operations to determine
what network of supply chain assets and what mix of old and new processes will
be optimal. And leaders must consider the strategic implications as whole
commercial ecosystems begin to form around the new realities of 3-D printing.
Many of the biggest players already in the business of additive manufacturing
are vying to develop the platforms on which other companies will build and
connect. Platform owners will be powerful because production itself is likely
to become commoditized over time. Those facilitating connections in the digital
ecosystem will sit in the middle of a tremendous volume of industrial
transactions, collecting and selling valuable information. INSETS: The Tipping
Point in Patents;Three Ways to Wade into 3-D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]