Dive Brief:

• Voodoo Manufacturing, a 3-D printing startup based in Brooklyn, New York, today launched its Fulfilled by Voodoo (FBV) service to help clients sell their products online, according to a press release emailed to Supply Chain Dive.
• FBV will use integration with Shipstation to allow Voodoo's clients to manufacture with Voodoo, then sell directly on e-commerce sites like Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Shopify.
• FBV assumes many supply chain responsibilities for new and small businesses, like "quality control, assembly, packaging and shipping" in addition to the manufacturing, according to the press release.

Dive Insight:

Services like Voodoo's will be key for new companies seeking to compete with bigger players, and on top of that, FBV could give manufacturers a competitive edge with its "just-in-time" manufacturing service.

FBV allows Voodoo clients to submit orders to Voodoo for just the right amount of product each company needs. Because 3-D printing is much faster than traditional manufacturing, Voodoo says its clients will be able to meet consumer expectations without getting stuck with unsold inventory.

That's a lot of leverage for a new or small company, allowing it to scale at the right pace and increase productivity faster. With FBV, Voodoo has tapped into the needs of companies in the e-commerce era and has combined services — manufacturing, supply chain and distribution — just like Amazon.

FBV makes operations easier for a startup using Voodoo, but FBV will also be attractive to big companies looking for a one-stop solution to increase cost savings and accelerate their supply chains.

That's something UPS is already doing: the 3PL recently installed 3-D printing facilities in its stores to attract manufacturers, recognizing the surge of industry interest in the tech to accelerate prototyping and the overall supply chain.

By taking on its clients' supply chains, companies like UPS and Voodoo are differentiating itself from other manufacturers like how Amazon differentiates itself from other e-commerce sites. Those are going to be the kinds of companies that succeed as innovation continues to accelerate and companies adjust their business models to centering on gauging and meeting consumer expectations.