Supply Chain Management Industry
(Prototype in R&D)
Now days, sourcing
and trading is not competitive for international trading company duo to the
mass competitor and transparent market. For trading company to keep growing,
get involving with the whole supply chain is really important. Like what Li
& Fung did in the past few decade, get into clients R&D and together
with the traditional trading company functions like sourcing, trading and
distribution can be the core competence for most big and successful trading
company.
Impact of Globalization
Normally, clients’
work together with few suppliers and the speed of response to clients’ R&D
become the key factor for a trading company. Globalization makes this game even
more interesting and tough for those local players. Earth village become the
hot topic due to the fast develop Internet and convenience for traveling and
transportation.
Impact of 3D Printing
Most of the trading
company has their own design team working closely with clients’ R&D
department, to deliver sample for approval is the hard core, because this
requires sample mold making and shipment time, especially the impact of
globalization. 3D Printing is like the magic for this kind issue for trading
company, it easy to send the design data and 3D print out by suppliers to
double confirm how and if can be made and as well as clients for outcome sample
to see the appearance.
3D printer Replicator 2 (credit:
MakerBot)
Industry Analysis for Global Supply
Chain
Before we talk about
the impact of 3D printing on Global Supply Chain Industry, we will first
introduce how this industry works.
Global Supply Chain
is a substitute way for trading industry. Duo to the language and culture
barrier between the world, mostly Asian and the Western, Trading industry is a
good business for quite a long time, WTO as a major organization play a big
role in the world. For example in China, exporting increase significantly after
China joined WTO in 2001. Trading business bring the world closer by regulation
standard between countries. There are so many player in the market, but duo to
tense competition, trading company start get involve with suppliers and buyers
deeply, Global Supply Chain come out and change the game for ever, now days, most
of the trading business we are talking about are involving more or less with
Supply Chain Management.
Like what Li&Fung
did from decade ago, fast response to clients request are the most important
thing now, provide actual sample to clients for confirmation are the most
important thing for a trading company, but how to delivery actual sample become
the issue for everyone.
Normally, trading
company will ask clients idea or sample for sourcing purpose, some trading
company also involving with R&D, maybe provide design or sample for their
clients to choose, when clients choose or have a design or sample, they will
require actual sample for approval. From this time until sample made by
supplier delivered to clients hands are considerable time and mostly clients
will be in hurry for actual sample because they maybe already plan for
marketing and want to see if the actual sample can met their require and also
worry about the competitor will have moved ahead of them if they launch the
market plan late than competitor, this marketing plan is a really bad decision
at least from the marketing department.
Because of most of
the sample need a mold to make and takes more time if the sample needs to
change even a little bit. So for most of the trading company, it require
merchandise to be an expert for all the products they are sourcing and need to
know the whole process and even can explain it well to their clients, this is
not easy for some trading company and their clients. Especially for promotional
items, which are not a regular product, form one company and they maybe have an
idea that is not suitable for manufacture to produce.
Over all, sample
making from suppliers’ delivery to clients is the most important thing for
trading company now, some company get more deep involve with clients’ R&D
and suppliers production process try to solve or make it easy for this kind of
problem, but this is still the most hard thing for most of the trading company
which related to Global Supply Chain management.
When 3D printing
technology come out to the market, this maybe change the industry for ever, for
example, years ago, some 3D printing service already introduced to the market,
mostly conducted by University in China. They introduce a timely and costly
advantage solution for market mostly target international trading company.
Impact of 3D Printing for Global Supply
Chain
3D printing allows
even small company to print something they like even with little investment,
this give them more advantage to do innovation which they can’t before compare
to the big company who has more resources and capital advantages.
Actually, 3D printer
can print out house, cars, guys and tools and so on, duo to the improvement of
this new technology, company or individuals can printing out almost everything
they can think about, but for a short time of period, 3D printing are still in
a stage of small quantity produce which are not big affect for manufacture role
yet, but it may change the whole industry very soon. We will check out the
positive affect and negative too for this new technology in globalized stage
now.
Positive affect: fast
printing time, as long as we have the design data, we can printing out the
product easily, this is important for a lot of companies who need fast response
to the market or clients. Cost down, consider about the raw materials maybe
need to product and as well as the procedure and mold needed, 3D printing save
a lot of waste raw materials and mold or tools to produce which save a lot.
Negative affect: intellectual
property, because everyone can print out product as long as they have the data
that needed to print, copyright are not easy to protect, especially new
technology can only scan the actual product and get all data needed for print.
Now days, this
technology is out for public, no mater how people think about it, good or bad,
it still changes the world and will keep doing so. There are some state in the
U.S. are trying to issue some regulation or law to protect the copyright or
violation use of this new technology, this is a good sign for people to use it
in the right way, information transparently affect the whole world, this new 3D
printing technology can make a big different if we use it properly, schools and
institutions now are offering course for 3D printing design, soft power of the new
technology will align with hardware into the market to make a different.
Opportunities for Global Supply Chain
When 3D printing
technology shows the convenience, people become interesting and want to know
more about it. I noticed this technology from Exhibitions in different city in
China from years ago. The first time when I saw 3D printing machine, I thought
they are selling the machine because mostly people exhibit products in
exhibitions in China, when I start talk with them, I realized that they are
introducing a new technology to the public even knowing that most of the people
wont buy it at that time because of the price and early stage development in
Chinese market.
People talk about
this technology a lot from the fairs and between trading company to their
clients and also suppliers, so everyone know there is a technology called 3D
printing which maybe change the whole industry soon. For fast mover, they start
train people about the new technology like some company will pay their employee
to learn how to use 3D software and some are check the available product in the
market closely in case mature product come out because the machines available in
the market are still out of the limit for most of the trading company and
people also concern about the ability of the available machine mostly size can
be printed.
Reference:
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