HP sees that more extensive use of technologies, even four-decade-old 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing), can help bring resilience to supply chains. Alexandre Lalumiere, head, Asia Pacific and Japan, of 3D printing and digital manufacturing at HP, says that the HP 3D printing ecosystem alone created nearly four million medical equipment parts to aid relief efforts.
When lockdown measures were imposed to curb the spread of Covid19, manufacturers, which have long relied on smooth-flowing supply chains to function, were hit hard. China’s Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) fell sharply from 50.0 in January 2020 to a record low of 35.7 the following month.
According to supply chain business network Procurious, 97% of 605 supply chain professionals suffered some form of disruption, nudging 73% of them to build greater resilience into operations. Consultancy Bain and Co expects 45% of US firms to shift supply chains closer to home over the next three years, while HP’s Digital Manufacturing Trends Report sees nine in 10 respondents exploring new supply chain models.
