How MJF Changes the Approach to Inventory in B2B
In B2B companies, a warehouse is traditionally perceived as a guarantee of stability: with delivery deadlines fixed in contracts and penalties for their violation, businesses prefer to keep stock “just in case.” Not surprisingly, the risk of downtime directly influences management decisions, with companies increasing safety stock, building additional volumes into their procurement policy, and managing working capital more cautiously.
But when customers demand more customized solutions and faster changes, excessive warehousing begins to work against the business. Instead of being an advantage, it ends up increasing costs and complicating the 3D printing supply chain.
The additive manufacturing logistics of Multi Jet Fusion technology make it possible to change this model and move from storage to digital inventory manufacturing and on-demand production.
Why Inventory in B2B Is “Frozen” Money
By purchasing components in advance, a company allocates working capital to inventory instead of development. Stability is provided by the stock itself, and the money is the price paid for it.
To the purchase cost are added expenses for storage, handling, accounting, and logistics. And if the product design changes or demand declines, part of the inventory has to be written off or discounted – and that has a direct financial impact.
As a result, capital becomes tied up in inventory, when it could have been put toward developing new products, modernizing equipment, or launching new business lines.
Crucially, it only takes the absence of one small, single part for production to grind to a halt – even if hundreds of other items are lying in stock. In this case, having a permanent warehouse does not reduce risk, but only increases the financial cost of the error.
What MJF Changes: The Shift from Storage to On-Demand Production
Unlike traditional injection molding, MJF does not require the production of molds or the launch of minimum batches. A part is printed based on a digital model and, if necessary, can be quickly reproduced without additional investment in tooling.
Referred to as “just-in-time manufacturing”, this approach makes it possible to produce exactly the volume needed at a specific moment, rather than planning purchases several months in advance.
Makerly manufactures prototypes and serial products based on industrial MJF technology, reducing the cycle from months to several days. Such speed makes the on-demand production model a practical tool for B2B, rather than a technological experiment.
Digital Warehouse Instead of a Physical One
«In our experience, the transition to a digital warehouse based on MJF is not just another production method. It’s an opportunity to stop keeping money tied up in inventory that may never be needed. When a company no longer has to purchase and hold thousands of parts “just in case,” it can achieve significant storage cost reduction because resources are freed up – both financial and operational.
With the largest fleet in the region of nine HP Jet Fusion production lines, we help clients build a more flexible virtual inventory model, where parts are produced according to actual demand, while maintaining serial repeatability and consistent quality. As a result, logistics becomes not a source of constant costs and uncertainty, but a managed process that works for business efficiency».
Andriy Letnytskyi,
Business Development Manager at Makerly
In this way, each model becomes a digital equivalent of an inventory item. The procurement manager reduces order volumes for force majeure cases, the logistics manager decreases the number of transfers between warehouses, and the engineer gains control over product versions without the risk of writing off remaining stock.
With a properly structured process, MJF spare parts production ensures stable characteristics and serial quality without the use of molds. This makes it possible to use a digital warehouse not only for prototypes, but also for regular B2B deliveries.
Where the Effect of MJF Is Greatest
The greatest results come from items with irregular demand and high storage costs – primarily spare parts for service departments and low-demand catalog positions.
A significant effect appears in distributed supply chains. With production on request and localized manufacturing, instead of storing products in multiple warehouses, a company can print parts closer to the point of consumption. This reduces transportation costs, shortens delivery time, and decreases the overall inventory volume.
Economics: Where the Financial Result Appears
The financial effect is visible in both working capital and cash flow. By using digital stock management, the amount of funds invested in inventory goes down, turnover improves, and the share of urgent purchases is reduced.
In the profit and loss statement, this is reflected through lower warehouse and logistics expenses. On the balance sheet – through reduced inventory thanks to safety-stock optimization and more efficient use of capital.
Q&A: The Opinion of Makerly Experts
Which indicators best illustrate the effect of switching to MJF? The most visible indicator is the reduction of lead time: if the delivery time of a part decreases from 30–45 days to 8–10, this directly affects the fulfillment of contractual obligations and production stability. Companies have to write off inventory less often, parts don’t sit idle in the warehouse, and the number of urgent last-minute purchases decreases, with finances becoming easier to plan and control.
What typical mistakes do companies make when replacing inventory with on-demand 3D printing? A common mistake is attempting to transfer the entire product range to printing without analyzing volumes and technical requirements, as well as evaluating the price per unit without considering warehousing costs and downtime expenses. To reduce risk, we recommend starting with an ABC/XYZ inventory analysis, selecting problematic items, and testing 3D printing on a limited list of parts.
Implementation Practice
In most projects, companies begin demand forecasting integration with a pilot lasting 1–3 months, selecting 10–30 items with long delivery times or a high write-off rate. After the test batch, they compare specific KPIs: lead time, service level, turnover, and the share of urgent orders.
Makerly operates nine industrial HP Jet Fusion lines and production facilities in Ukraine and Romania. Our distributed production hubs make it possible, after the pilot, to quickly move to serial production without changing the technology and while maintaining consistent quality from batch to batch.
Limitations
While you can reduce inventory costs with MJF, it does not replace traditional manufacturing at very large volumes, where molding provides a lower unit cost. In projects with special requirements for materials, certification, or surface finish, additional engineering work is required, so implementation should begin with technical analysis rather than a price only calculation.
MJF moves the warehouse from a cost category to a managed tool. By adopting decentralized manufacturing, a company stops holding excessive “just in case” inventory and begins managing its product range through digital models and actual demand volumes.
In an unstable market, it’s not the business with the largest inventory who wins, but the one able to adapt faster to change. Achieving working capital efficiency with the ability to respond quickly to demand becomes the source of a sustainable competitive advantage.
