Manufacturing Flexibility Equals More Holiday Revenues

Maximizing revenues around the year-end holiday season requires a mix of art and science, but in recent years the equation is shifting towards the science side.

For many manufacturers, getting the right products on the market at year end can be the difference between a successful vs. a disappointing year. They have to balance numerous factors:

• Getting new products to market in time for the holidays
• Pushing the innovation envelope far enough to create products that attract customers
• Producing enough inventory to meet demand
• Avoiding oversupply

These factors are subject to numerous uncertainties, such as ever-changing customer demand and actions your competitors take to mix up their offerings; they are what makes part of this an art form.

But what makes this a science is gaining access to nimble manufacturing capabilities. Some digitally-enabled manufacturers can produce injection-molded, machined, and 3D-printed parts in under 15 days (and as quickly as one day)…far shorter lead times than traditionally-produced parts.

Digital manufacturing adds flexibility and speed to your supply chain. If you need additional quantities at the last minute, producing them becomes a routine undertaking. This type of capability can also provide bridge production between the development process and their full-scale manufacturing operations.

Of course, bear in mind two alternative scenarios: you miss the holiday season entirely, or run short of your hottest products.

As growing percentages of annual sales get squeezed into a concentrated time at the end of each year, you cannot afford to miss all or part of this selling season. The more flexibility and speed you have, the higher your revenues can rise.

This is particularly important for the popular trend of mass customization. Digital manufacturing enables companies to produce the low-volume, high-mix needed to meet the demands of the growing consumer desire for customized goods.

Digital manufacturing is transforming the art of holiday selling into a science. Are you using this rapidly evolving science to your advantage? We hope so.