Nothing exemplifies the exceptional power and scale of today’s highest performing supply chains than the simple phrase: designed in California, assembled In China. Behind that elegant phrase are some of the world’s most sophisticated supply-chain processes, stitching together networks of suppliers, sub-assemblers and logistics companies around the globe.
Supply chains today are big, complex and global. Keeping them humming is an enormous challenge. But does it have to be that way? We think the world is entering the era of small, simple and local supply chains, powered by a new generation of manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, intelligent assembly robotics and open-source hardware – also known as the Software Defined Supply Chain.
Simplification of chain lowers costs
It is evident that, over the next five years, most major consumer products will be cheaper and simpler to make using a software-defined supply chain than a traditional manufacturing process…
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