Reduce inventory

If you don’t use it, you pay twice.

Traditional manufacturing was inefficient: Companies paid to make sales units and spare parts, then paid again to store the ones that didn’t sell or weren’t required. Customer service meant having everything on hand – because at product launch, you couldn’t know for sure what would move fastest.

But with 3D printing, you don’t need to know.

• Make only what you need. When you can manufacture on demand, you reduce your reliance on high-volume manufacturing and physical warehousing.
• Respond to customers at every stage of the lifecycle. Didn’t make enough of a new product? You can print more. Don’t have spare parts for a product late in its lifecycle? You can print more.

When you replace or combine volume manufacturing with 3D printing, you become more flexible and more efficient.