The best answer is limited fixed asset usage . In an on-demand manufacturing model, the organization attempts to delay production until genuine customer requirements are known rather than building and storing large quantities of finished goods in advance. Maintaining appropriate raw-material availability supports this postponement strategy.
The advantage is that the organization does not need to commit the same level of warehouse space, finished-goods storage infrastructure, and other fixed resources required by a traditional build-to-stock model. Materials can be positioned so that production occurs when demand is triggered, allowing assets to be used more selectively and reducing the need for excess finished-goods capacity.
Raw-material availability remains critical because an on-demand system cannot respond quickly if production must wait for basic inputs. Thus, supply planning must synchronize material availability with flexible manufacturing capability. Research on on-demand manufacturing similarly emphasizes its role in reducing customers' need for on-site inventory and increasing manufacturing flexibility.
Although this approach may also contribute to cost reduction, the wording of the question is specifically aimed at the benefit of avoiding unnecessary fixed-asset commitment.
Reference Topic: Production and Operations Alignment — On-Demand Manufacturing, Postponement, and Asset Utilization.
===============
