Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference - MAMC 2020

Additive manufacturing technologies is considered as a disruptive technology that will not only to create new opportunities but also threats to disrupt existing traditional industries. This new way of manufacturing will also require companies to not only revise but also consider new business models. Organizations using traditional manufacturing methods should start to explore how additive manufacturing will impact their manufacture, value proposition, collaboration with other firms and how they operate. There is still a gap to explore and understand how new manufacturing technologies might affect existing firms and business models and might also provide opportunities for new business models. In this research we used business model canvas framework (A. Osterwalder, 2004; Alexander Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010) and Lean Canvas (Maurya, 2012) to provide a structural discussion that would lead to a blueprint and explore impact of additive manufacturing in business models. The business model canvas framework divides the business model of a company in four areas (the Product, Customer Interface, Infrastructure Management and Financial Aspects) and nine building blocks (value proposition, target customer, distribution channel, relationship, value configuration, capability, partnership, cost structure and revenue model. The lean canvas implements four new building block elements (problems, solutions, key metrics and unique value proposition) and removes four building block elements of business model canvas (key partners, key activities, key resources and customer relationships (Maurya, 2012). While business model canvas framework works well for established companies, the lean canvas framework was especially designed for entrepreneurs or firms that want to act as entrepreneurial focused to help them to navigate from ideation to a successful business (Maurya, 2012). In this research we combine these building blocks and provide a blueprint of how each of these building blocks could be affected additive manufacturing technologies and illustrate our propositions with examples. In order to present impact of additive manufacturing in business model innovation, we followed theoretical sampling recommended by Glaser and Strauss (1967). As a result, we collected data and examples from additive manufacturing startups, firms and projects in Europe, North and South America and Africa. We used publicly available information at firms’ websites, news, press releases and reports. Maurya, A. (2012). Lean Canvas. Running Lean Plan That Works. Osterwalder, A. (2004). The business model ontology a proposition in a design science approach. Doctoral Dissertation, Université de Lausanne, Faculté Des Hautes Études Commerciales. Osterwalder, Alexander, & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business Model Generation - Canvas. Wiley.