The Role of Additive Manufacturing in Supply Chain Management

Nowadays, it is necessary to develop a conceptual framework for analysing the relationship between the implementation of Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM). In this context, a gap in the research has been observed in the new approach to designing the importance of AM in SCM. The main contribution of this paper, therefore, is a new framework to formulate the role in adopting AM in SCM. The research methodology is based on detailed literature studies of AM in relation to the SCM process within a manufacturing company, as well on a case study, namely the COWAN GmbH manufacturing company who specialise in producing homewares for motorhome enthusiasts. As highlighted in the state-of-the-art analysis, no work, currently available, supports all the features presented.