CASE STUDY SS-DP-PC-01 | Procurement/Capital Strategy

Direct To Consumer Aligner Brand Tech Upgrade

Smart Procurement for Faster, More Affordable Production

Dental Products | Procurement/Capital Strategy

4 Hours

Manufacturing Time (Down from 3 Days)

222% ↑

Throughput Increase per Printer

63% ↓

Per-Unit Production Cost Reduction

Challenge

High-Tech Bottleneck Threatening Growth and Profitability

Slow Manufacturing: Existing 3D printers required 3 days to produce a set of aligners.
High Production Costs: Expensive hardware increased per-unit cost, squeezing margins.
Quality Issues: 11% of products failed QA, requiring costly remakes.
Growth Limitation: The bottleneck capped both throughput and profitability.
Technology Obsolescence Risk: No strategy to prevent being locked into outdated equipment.

Comprehensive Capital Strategy and Innovative Procurement to Future-Proof Production

Faster Equipment: Procured high-speed, reliable 3D printers and scanners.
Capital Lease with Obsolete Clause: Enabled regular upgrades to stay competitive and avoid technology lock-in.
Optimized Layouts: Adjusted production workflow to leverage new printer capabilities.
Risk Mitigation: Reduced quality failures and minimized downtime.
Strategic Procurement: Balanced cost savings with long-term flexibility and innovation adoption.

Transformed Bottleneck into Competitive Advantage

3-Day to 4-Hour Manufacturing: Production speed increased dramatically.
222% Throughput Increase: More units produced per printer per day.
63% Cost Reduction: Lower failure rates and faster production reduced unit costs.
Quality Improvement: Errors minimized, supporting brand promise of reliable at-home aligners.
Market Leadership Maintained: Fast, affordable production reinforced the DTC brand’s competitive edge.