How Does Additive Manufacturing Affect the Spare Parts Supply Chain? – A Literature Review

The rapid development of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies in the last years promotes the potential of AM to revolutionize traditional spare parts supply chains. Spare parts management is a challenging task since erratic demands meet high service level requirements. Traditionally companies face this challenge by holding high inventory levels at the risk of long storage times and product obsolescence. AM enables a decentralized, on-demand production and is a potential key technology for a more efficient and customer-oriented supply chain in after-sales management. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights regarding the potential benefits, obstacles, and effects of AM technologies on the after-sales supply chain. Additionally, this article aims to identify classification and selection systems that provide a sound basis for deciding which spare parts of the assortment should be produced via AM technologies. Therefore, a systematic literature review was conducted, whereby a total of 37 articles were investigated. The reviewed papers then have been classified concerning AM influence in after-sales management. This paper concludes by proposing further research opportunities to identify the full potential of AM in spare parts management.