Introducing 3T Additive Manufacturing
Based in Thatcham, West Berkshire, 3T Additive Manufacturing is one of the world’s earliest adopters of metal additive manufacturing, having acquired their first metal printer in 2007.
Over nearly two decades, the company has cultivated extensive high-pedigree material and process data while simultaneously helping to develop the talent that now exists across the industry today. This pioneering position has established 3T as a respected leader in the additive manufacturing sector.
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The challenge
3T Additive Manufacturing faced significant operational challenges that restricted them from delivering a reliable service. The company’s On-Time In-Full (OTIF) delivery performance was consistently low, which was symptomatic of deeper systemic issues within their planning and operational processes.
While 3T had developed a highly detailed commercial model for capacity planning, this critical tool was not owned or actively used by the Operations team, creating a disconnect between commercial forecasting and operational reality. The monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) meetings had devolved into purely commercial reviews focused on orders, invoiced sales, and cash flow, with no forward-looking planning or structured ownership of operational capacity decisions.
This fragmented approach meant that capacity constraints and bottlenecks were not being identified proactively, leading to unrealistic lead-times, poor delivery performance, and ultimately disappointed customers who perceived the company as unreliable in their planning and service delivery.
“The S&OP process has brought structure and routine. It’s made us more aware of business needs, improved our planning, and created a regular space for collaborative problem-solving and idea-sharing across the management team.”
Matt Wennington – Head of Commercial, 3T
The SiG solution
Sharing in Growth (SiG) implemented a comprehensive transformation of 3T’s planning processes, when S&OP was formally added to the company’s organisational development charter. The intervention followed a structured, phased approach designed to build capability and embed sustainable practices.
The transformation began with foundational training, educating key stakeholders on S&OP processes and their strategic importance. This was followed by the implementation of the first proper S&OP meeting, featuring a completely new structure that reviewed the order pipeline, created six-month demand plans, considered New Product Introduction (NPI) programme risks, and developed six-month capacity plans compared against budget.
Over time, SiG continued to enhance the planning capabilities with several key developments. The introduction of a CNC Capacity Planning model was followed by extending the planning horizon to 12 months, and an Additive Manufacturing (AM) Capacity Planning model was added, providing comprehensive visibility across all production technologies. The final phase involved transitioning ownership to ensure sustainability. The meeting chair responsibility moved from the SiG Coach to the 3T Finance team, ensuring full integration of S&OP into the commercial model and creating permanent cross-functional alignment.
THE SiG RESULTS
The transformation delivered substantial improvements for 3T. Most significantly, the delivery performance score improved dramatically from 3 out of 5 in 2022 to 3.92 in 2025, representing a 31% improvement in customer perception through their impact survey.
The company also improved their awareness of capacity constraints and bottlenecks, enabling proactive management rather than reactive firefighting. Lead-times became more accurate and realistic, directly supporting the improved OTIF delivery performance. As a result, 3T improved in both service delivery and planning, enhancing the company’s competitive position.
The success demonstrated SiG’s core insight that no matter the size of the business, even simple tools such as Microsoft Excel can be highly effective when supported by strong processes and cross-functional collaboration. The transformation created a sustainable competitive advantage by ensuring Sales, Operations, and Finance teams work together on forward-looking plans, with ongoing support and commitment ensuring the changes became permanently embedded in 3T’s operational culture.
The case illustrates that operational excellence is not about sophisticated technology or complex systems, but about creating the right processes, dialogue, and collaborative structures that align all functions around common goals and forward-looking planning.
“Now we can see the whole business process from end-to-end. This helps me understand what’s driving the revenue numbers, and drivers of increased expenditure, helping me to plan and budget more accurately.”
Natalija Cuparic – Head of Finance, 3T
“Awareness of capacity constraints is much improved; we understand where our bottlenecks are much better now. It has improved our ability to offer accurate lead-times, and hence our OTIF performance has improved.”
Derek Purves – Head of Operations, 3T
RESULTS DRIVEN. RESULTS PROVEN.
We are the complete business transformation experts. Our passionate team of growth and productivity specialists work with you to develop, inspire and improve every aspect of your organisation. The Sharing in Growth challenge and purpose is to accelerate your business growth and ultimately your bottom line.
To learn more about how SiG can help your business thrive, contact our team today. We are committed to providing the knowledge, tools, and support you need to unlock your business’ potential and drive sustainable growth. Follow us on LinkedIn for further updates from Sharing in Growth.
