An enterprise system virtual factories platform for collaborative business environment

Abstract

In order to make sure small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can adapt them with competitive business environment globally and fulfil business requirements of new products or services, SMEs collaborate with others in form of Virtual Enterprise. Different enterprises align together to overcome various critical challenges such as resources and expertise while concentrate on their own core competencies. Virtual Factories (VF) represent collaborative networks within the manufacturing domain, where the communication between its members are orchestrated through ICT-enabled infrastructure. In this situation, collaborative networks demand an advanced information management system with the objective to share valuable knowledge and expertise. With the purpose to fulfil all business requirements and to support collaborative activities, an Enterprise System is designed as a platform to implement virtual factories business environment. This platform enables different factories to meet their business targets and provides a single point for all factories to access the real time manufacturing and products information. This research offers a significant methodology to improve manufacturing processes and increase the ability to share information across different networked factories.