Rapid Prototyping in Humanitarian Aid To Manufacture Last Mile Vehicles Spare Parts: An Implementation Plan

This research examines the use of rapid prototyping technologies in the supply chain of spare parts. Spare parts are manufactured in small production lots and distributed in wide areas, eventually requiring short delivery times. The focus of this research is the use of rapid prototyping in humanitarian logistics. The demand of humanitarian aid is large, but it is very difficult to predict and also to supply. The use of rapid prototyping to produce spare parts can greatly increase the availability of scarce resources. In this paper, it is demonstrated that rapid prototyping of spare parts for last mile vehicles can help achieve a cost-effective solution to increase vehicle availability. Also, a detailed implementation plan is developed to serve as a guideline for any organization to successfully introduce the equipment in their operations. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.