SupplyChainBrain -Three Digital Manufacturing Trends for 2020 (article review)

Read the article.
The way I read this article, the forecast is for a "gig economy" approach to machining and other "metal-bashing" industries. In the section headed "Online and On-Demand", the article describes individual part fabrication being completely outsourced through an online network of firms the way 3D printing has evolved. I see this as great news for firms looking to buy one-off items while at the same time increasing competition, and decreasing margins, for job shops.

I see this somewhat at odds with the following section on "More Partnerships, Joint Ventures". If firms can get multiple quotes and select a different supplier every time, it is hard to see the partnership aspect. Unless, of course, over time the major users of these online services decide to focus on working with a select few vendors with whom they can develop Long Term Agreements (LTAs) based on negotiating rates, volume, lead time and quality. I would see this happening to ensure consistent quality compared to a different supplier every time.

If this online and on-demand trend really takes off, job shops will have to invest heavily in CAD, CAM, machine monitoring and cloud-based services (access to the portals of the ecosystem) - all of which are key elements Industry 4.0. If you are wondering about all this - reach out to us at FarStar, we can help!

Read the full article.
Follow the link in the article to the Deloitte 2020 Manufacturing Outlook.

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