3D printing technology has been in use in prototyping for years, but it is now making way into production process as well. Since supply chain management is a constant act of juggling that entails trying to balance the overall inventory and its availability and the changing demands, it is always hard to manage it without some form of innovation or help. However, if you think that this is difficult, wait until you encounter the challenge of managing spare parts. It is hard to anticipate when breakdowns will occur and when new spare parts will be needed.

Last week, we posted an article about the recent Ariba- ThomasNet partnership. For some perspective, we turn to the Spend Matters site.