Impact of 3-D printing technology in manufacturing supply lines to improve resilience during black swan events

The findings of this review article are important for managers and chief supply chain officers in that they can better simplify the chains through the adoption of 3-D printing infrastructure, thereby insulating their businesses from the cascading effects of black swan events. I find support for the hypothesis that the adoption of 3-D printing infrastructure in manufacturing supply chain infrastructure leads to simplification of the networks. It facilitates simplification through economies of scale, customization, co-production, better demand prediction, freedom in shape design, allowance for manufacturing postponement, fewer nodes and integration of functionalities to reduce steps in the chain. These contribute to improved resilience through a variety of mechanisms.