Felix Manley and Sasha Bruml, Founders, 3D People

In today's world, predictability is a luxury few supply chains can offer.

The post-pandemic landscape has forced businesses to confront a reality where stockouts, shipping delays, and economic shocks are no longer exceptions — they're the new normal. Throw in tariff wars, shifting trade policies, political instability, and sky-rocketing warehousing costs.The case for change becomes not just urgent, but existential.

We are living in a time where ‘business as usual' is no longer an option. Companies that cling to old models are increasingly vulnerable to disruption, while those that innovate stand to gain a crucial competitive advantage.

At 3D People, that rethink led to the creation of PartsVault™ — a secure, cloud-based digital inventory service that enables businesses to store, manage, and manufacture parts on demand, wherever and whenever they're needed. It's not just a platform. It's a radical rethinking of how manufacturing can and should work in a volatile world.

A RADICAL SHIFT IN INVENTORY THINKING
Historically, businesses have relied on a physical-first inventory model: produce in bulk, ship globally, and stock parts wherever demand might arise. It made sense when global trade was smooth, logistics were predictable, and warehousing was cheap.

But those conditions are disappearing fast.

The COVID-19 pandemic brutally exposed the fragility of this approach. Global supply chains ground to a halt. Containers were stuck in ports. Raw materials couldn't be sourced. Businesses were left scrambling for parts — not because of a lack of demand, but because their supply model was built on assumptions that no longer held true.

Then came trade disputes, tariffs, and logistical bottlenecks like the Suez Canal blockage — stark reminders that relying on far-flung, complex, just-in-time global supply chains is a risky proposition. And with the spectre of reciprocal tariffs potentially returning under future administrations, international trade is unlikely to stabilise any time soon.

PartsVault™ flips the traditional inventory model on its head.

Instead of stockpiling physical parts in warehouses or relying on long-haul shipping, businesses can store digital part files securely in the cloud. When a part is needed, it's produced locally and on demand by 3D People's ISO 9001-certified UK-based additive manufacturing facility.

No warehouse. No delays. No waste. Just speed, flexibility, and total control.

THE THREE PILLARS OF PARTSVAULT™
Streamlined Reordering for Existing Customers. For current customers of 3D People, PartsVault™ represents a significant step forward in operational efficiency.

PartsVault™ enables customers to store their part files in project folders — complete with manufacturing specifications, and re-order quantities . Sets of parts that are frequently ordered together can be added to a new quote in a single click. The result? Repeat production becomes fast, consistent, and hassle-free.

Buyers and production managers can confidently place orders knowing they'll receive the same output every time. Design engineers can update parts directly in the platform, ensuring only the most current version gets produced. No more confusing email threads. No more versioning errors. This is especially valuable for companies with ongoing low-to-medium volume needs — where traditional manufacturing is too rigid, and conventional inventory systems too cumbersome.
With PartsVault™, businesses can fully embrace Just-in-Time (JIT) principles without the risk. Orders can be triggered exactly when demand arises, eliminating the cost and complexity of holding stock.

Resilience Through Localisation for International Manufacturers. While PartsVault™ brings efficiency to existing users, its real game-changing potential lies in how it enables non-UK companies to localise their manufacturing in the UK — seamlessly and without infrastructure investment.

International manufacturers often face a paradox, they want to serve UK customers quickly and reliably, but shipping from abroad introduces delays, costs, and risk. Warehousing locally adds overhead and administrative burden.

PartsVault™ solves this.

By storing part designs digitally in the cloud, international companies can activate UK-based production at the click of a button. Spare parts, service kits, and production components can be printed and delivered locally, without the need for physical inventory or customs paperwork.
In effect, PartsVault™ gives manufacturers a virtual warehouse in the UK — one that doesn't require rent, logistics contracts, or stock management. This is a compelling advantage in a world where overseas production costs are rising, tariffs and trade wars loom large, and customers increasingly demand fast, localised service.

Localised manufacturing isn't just about speed, it's about resilience. With PartsVault™, businesses can decouple from global volatility and build a more reliable, regionalised supply chain that's responsive to change.

Built for the On-Demand Era. Perhaps the most transformative element of PartsVault™ is how it embraces one of the defining advantages of additive manufacturing, on-demand production.
Gone are the days of guessing future demand and locking cash into large production runs. With PartsVault™, companies produce only what's needed, when it's needed — based on actual orders, not forecasts. This model reduces waste, eliminates the risk of obsolete inventory, and frees up working capital. It also allows companies to respond dynamically to market feedback, evolving products incrementally without the cost or delay of tooling changes.

Additive manufacturing enables mass customisation, and PartsVault™ provides the digital infrastructure to manage it intelligently. The environmental benefits are also significant. By producing parts close to where they're needed and only when they're needed, companies can drastically reduce carbon emissions associated with transport, overproduction, and excess storage.

PartsVault™ empowers companies to design smarter supply chains — ones that are lean, green, and highly responsive.

A PLATFORM, NOT JUST A FEATURE
What makes PartsVault™ more than just a convenience tool is its integration into 3D People's wider manufacturing ecosystem. The platform is browser-based, mobile-friendly, and securely accessible from anywhere — making it ideal for engineering teams working across different locations or in field-based industries. Users can view 3D previews, track order history, and manage revision control — all in one central hub.

PartsVault™also syncs seamlessly with 3D People's proprietary online quoting engine, meaning there's no disconnect between file storage and production. From upload to manufacture, every step is digitised, streamlined, and traceable. And because 3D People offers in-house finishing services like vapour smoothing and dyeing, customers can ensure every part meets final-use standards — no additional handling required.

RETHINKING THE GLOBAL MANUFACTURING MINDSET
What's clear is that the age of passive inventory models is ending. The modern supply chain is data-driven, digitally-enabled, and increasingly distributed.

PartsVault™ sits squarely at the centre of this shift.

It enables businesses to scale smarter — without scaling stockpiles. It offers the security of local production without the overhead of physical infrastructure. It replaces sluggish procurement cycles with instant responsiveness. Most importantly, it empowers companies to operate with agility and efficiency. In a climate of geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility, that mindset could be the most valuable asset of all.

THE FUTURE OF INVENTORY IS ALREADY HERE
The time to rethink how you manage parts isn't during the next crisis — it's now.
PartsVault™ from 3D People offers a real, tangible way to future-proof your manufacturing operations. It combines the best of digital infrastructure with the proven power of on-demand 3D printing. Whether you're looking to reduce lead times, cut costs, improve supply chain resilience, or simply build smarter workflows — this is your launchpad.

Because the future of inventory isn't physical.
It's digital.
It's local.
It's on demand.

Explore PartsVault™ today, and start rethinking what's possible.
www.3dpeople.uk