International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

Rogers, Helen; Braziotis, Christos; Pawar, Kulwant S.

2017 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-08-2017-0248

Durach, Christian F.; Kurpjuweit, Stefan; Wagner, Stephan M.

2017 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-11-2016-0332

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer empirical insights on emerging additive manufacturing (AM) processes, barriers to their adoption and a timeline of expected impacts on the supply chain in the manufacturing industry.Design/methodology/approachA multi-stage survey study was conducted with a panel of 16 experts from industry and academia.FindingsOnly five out of today’s seven AM processes are of future importance, as are two emerging key processes. In total, 15 barriers to their adoption are identified, all of which are expected to be gone within ten years. Eight propositions are derived postulating as to whether and when supply chain impacts can be expected in terms of changes to supply chain structure, customer centricity, logistics and supply chain capability.Research limitations/implications“Soft” barriers are new to the literature, which has traditionally focused on “technical” barriers. Often-discussed barriers such as production speed and costs do not reflect the true concerns of the research panel. Furthermore, some of the supply chain implications discussed in both the academic literature and the media are found to be unlikely to materialize.Practical implicationsThe study summarizes AM processes, technologies, barriers and supply chain implications solicited from experts in the field.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to make empirical contributions to a vastly conceptual discussion. It is also the first study to give insights on a timeline for barriers and supply chain implications.

Dwivedi, Gourav; Srivastava, Samir K.; Srivastava, Rajiv K.

2017 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-07-2017-0222

PurposeA spurt in the usage of additive manufacturing (AM) is observed in industrial applications to produce final parts along with rapid prototyping and rapid tooling. Despite the potential benefits of on-demand and on-location production of customised or complex shape parts, widespread implementation of this disruptive production technology is not yet visible. The purpose of this paper is to examine the various barriers to implement AM in the Indian automotive sector and analyse interrelations among them.Design/methodology/approachBased on the extant literature and discussions with industry experts, ten major barriers are identified. The authors use a modified Fuzzy interpretive structural modelling (Fuzzy-ISM) method to derive strengths of relationships among these barriers, develop hierarchical levels, and thereafter group and rank these barriers.FindingsISM diagraph is developed to demonstrate how the barriers drive one another. Production technology capabilities and government support emerge as the most critical factors, with high driving power and medium dependence.Research limitations/implicationsWhile identified barriers may be similar across the automotive industry, generalisation of results for interrelationships and ranks in other industries may be limited.Practical implicationsThe findings may be useful to managers to develop suitable mitigation strategies, and take more informed decisions, with individual focus, level focus or cluster focus.Social implicationsFindings clearly establish that the role of management and government is crucial in mitigating workers’ resistance to AM implementation.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to AM literature by the structured presentation of the barriers to implement AM in the Indian automotive sector. It also extends the Fuzzy-ISM method by presenting calculation of indirect relations using the appropriate max-product composition and in ranking the barriers.

Ryan, Michael J.; Eyers, Daniel R.; Potter, Andrew T.; Purvis, Laura; Gosling, Jonathan

2017 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-12-2016-0359

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the existing scenarios for 3D printing (3DP) in order to identify the “white space” where future opportunities have not been proposed or developed to date. Based around aspects of order penetration points, geographical scope and type of manufacturing, these gaps are identified.Design/methodology/approachA structured literature review has been carried out on both academic and trade publications. As of the end of May 2016, this identified 128 relevant articles containing 201 future scenarios. Coding these against aspects of existing manufacturing and supply chain theory has led to the development of a framework to identify “white space” in the existing thinking.FindingsThe coding shows that existing future scenarios are particularly concentrated on job shop applications and pull-based supply chain processes, although there are fewer constraints on geographical scope. Five distinct areas of “white space” are proposed, reflecting various opportunities for future 3DP supply chain development.Research limitations/implicationsBeing a structured literature review, there are potentially articles not identified through the search criteria used. The nature of the findings is also dependent upon the coding criteria selected. However, these are theoretically derived and reflect important aspect of strategic supply chain management.Practical implicationsPractitioners may wish to explore the development of business models within the “white space” areas.Originality/valueCurrently, existing future 3DP scenarios are scattered over a wide, multi-disciplinary literature base. By providing a consolidated view of these scenarios, it is possible to identify gaps in current thinking. These gaps are multi-disciplinary in nature and represent opportunities for both academics and practitioners to exploit.