The Evolution and Strategic Operations Perspective on 3D Printing: The Global and Japanese Experience

The industrial adoption of 3D printing technology continues to gain the interest of industrial professionals and the academic community alike. More Japanese industries are utilizing this technology for different purposes, and there have been some promising results and gains. The utilization of such disruptive technology will alter the way business is conducted and will likely interrupt existing business models and operations. The adoption of 3D printing has the potential to impact some core business functions such as supply chain management. It is, therefore, important to explore the implication of deploying this revolutionary technology on supply chain performance. This paper identifies key areas within supply chains that are directly impacted by the use of 3D printing and explains how such use revolutionizes their performance. The paper also discusses some key benefits supply chains are likely to gain from the adoption of 3D printing as well as key challenges and limitations that are associated with the deployment of 3D printing technology. Furthermore, the situation of Japan’s competitiveness in the development and use of global 3D printers is explored. Finally, the paper presents key lessons learnt and makes suggestions for future research areas. The paper will be of interest to academic scholars interested in aspects related to the deployment of 3D printing in supply chains and can also be a good reference to business professionals and organizations within different sectors interested in understanding more about the impact of adopting 3D printing technology on supply chain performance.