How can 3D printing disrupt our business? - Ideas from unspoken insights

3D

Printing

Exploring the Future of 3D Printing

Background

Our client, a global leader in the tobacco manufacturing industry, recognised the transformative potential of 3D printing technologies. With the rapid advancements in this field, we embarked on an initial landscaping study to understand the capabilities and applications of nine different types of 3D printers. This study highlighted significant opportunities, but it also raised critical strategic questions:

What actions should we take now to prepare for the future of 3D printing?
Could 3D printing evolve into a viable manufacturing method for our client’s products?
What are the implications of widespread consumer access to 3D printers in their homes?

To address these questions and explore the potential of 3D printing across its business operations, our client sought to conduct a landscaping workshop. The workshop aimed to create opportunity spaces where 3D printing could be integrated into various aspects of the business, including next-generation consumables (such as gels), devices, and 3D printed gel matrices.

The key stakeholders involved in this initiative included the Brand Manager, Head of R&D, and Head of Production.

Solution

To tackle the challenges and explore the potential of 3D printing, we developed a comprehensive strategy:

Contextual Integration with Business Strategy: our client recognised the importance of aligning 3D printing opportunities with its overall business strategy. By connecting potential areas of innovation to long-term business goals, our client aimed to ensure that the final concepts would gain traction and be well-integrated into the company’s future plans. The Insights team was engaged to help develop a rich list of ideas for Horizon 3 and beyond.
Expanding Beyond Initial Opportunity Spaces: While initial thought starters for 3D printing were identified, our client saw the need to expand on these ideas, considering not just current technology but also future possibilities. The goal was to deliver a set of innovative and commercially viable ideas that could generate significant revenue for our client.
Focusing on Strategic and Commercial Insights: our client’s approach extended beyond just consumer needs and technical capabilities. The company aimed to develop opportunities that were not only a good strategic fit but also commercially exciting. This involved anchoring ideas in category, channel, and commercial insights, as well as understanding the strategic and brand contexts.
Adopting a ‘Future-Back’ Approach: To develop opportunity areas that would be relevant in a future environment, we adopted a ‘Future-Back’ approach. This involved building future scenarios, connecting them with emerging technologies, and then developing ideas and opportunities that would be relevant to our client’s future.

The strategic exploration of 3D printing led to the development of:

11 Big Opportunity Areas: Identified across various parts of the business, these opportunity areas spanned customer engagement, operational efficiency, and product innovation.
22 Innovative Ideas: Developed to execute on these opportunities, these ideas offered significant benefits in terms of customer satisfaction, business growth, and intellectual property development.