Making the Business Case for Additive Manufacturing: A Manager’s Guide
You don’t need to understand all of the technical details of additive manufacturing (aka 3D printing) and what the technology can specifically do at this point in time… nobody does and it’s capabilities are constantly evolving. Rather, focus on what this emerging technology will be able to do for your business in the near future and use it to increase your competitive advantage.
Whether it’s new materials, faster machines, enhanced processes, or one of the many other variables that make up additive manufacturing, something new is always happening. Instead of trying to peg a rapidly moving target, operate with the understanding that a 3D printer will eventually be able to produce whatever you need it to. Now take this thinking and apply it to your business. This is the only way to get ahead of the curve when working with exponential and transformative technologies.
For those of you who don’t know what additive manufacturing is, here is a short video from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers to get you up to speed and a well written beginners guide from my friends at 3D Printing Industry.
I assume by now you realize additive manufacturing will vastly change the world we live in. With over a billion dollars of public and private investment in 2015 across a wide array of industries, change is coming much faster than you think. Understanding the technology is more than just knowing what it can do at any given point in time. Rather, it’s figuring out how to conceptually apply it to your business challenges for the future and realizing the current state of the technology is somewhat irrelevant to the discussion. So start talking with your team about it, and figure out how to leverage additive manufacturing to support your business.
Below is an infographic addressing 12 common business challenges to help you get the conversation started. For more information on any of these topics please send me a note (jason@jtrassoc.com) and we can discuss them in detail as they relate to your business.
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