Evaluating strategies to adopt 3D printing in e-commerce supply

Abstract

Amazon has always maintained that the company is built around the needs of its customers and will always strive to serve them better. It says that it continuously works on new, cutting-edge methods to reduce the lead time. One-day delivery with Prime was a game-changer for Amazon, and it hopes to keep reinventing the technique. Amazon is experimenting with drones to beat the traffic. But now it has a new idea: 3D Printing on the go! Yes, Amazon will bring its 3D-printing trucks to the customers' doorsteps if 30-rninute drone delivery isn't fast enough. That's the bold ambition outlined in many patent applications filed by the e-commerce behemoth. Customers could order, say, replacement parts for quick delivery, and Amazon strives to achieve this without even storing that part in the warehouse. The plan looks futuristic enough! Hence, in this report, we analyze the feasibility of this plan, how this would affect the existing supply chain opemtions, what issues might arise, how the seller side relationships would change in detail.