TISM-based analysis of important factors for additive manufacturing in healthcare:a case study

Purpose This paper aims to focus on developing a theoretical framework for the analysis of factors influencing additive manufacturing (AM) in the health-care domain. Design/methodology/approach A total of 18 factors are considered through extensive literature review and the relationship between each factor is studied using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) and the model is logically developed. TISM model is developed using appropriate expert inputs. In addition, cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis is conducted to group the factors. Findings It was found that “ease of design” and “research and development” are the two most important factors with the highest driving power and dependencies. Through MICMAC analysis, the significance of factors is studied. Practical implications The study has been done based on inputs from academic experts and industry practitioners. The inferences from the study have practical relevance. Originality/value The development of a structural model for the analysis of factors influencing AM in the health-care domain is the original contribution of the authors.