Intelligent Non-Hierarchical Manufacturing Networks

This book provides the latest models, methods and guidelines for networked enterprises to enhance their competitiveness and move towards innovative high performance and agile industrial systems.

In the new global market, competitiveness and economic growth rely greatly on the move toward innovative high performance industrial systems and agile networked enterprises through the creation and consolidation of non-hierarchical manufacturing networks of multi-national SMEs as opposed to networks based on powerful large-scale companies. Network performance can be significantly improved through more harmonious and equitable peer-to-peer inter-enterprise relationships, conforming decentralized and collaborative decision-making models.

Traditional hierarchical manufacturing networks are based on centralized models, where some of the actors involved must adapt themselves to the constraints defined by those who are most dominant. Real-world experiences of such models have revealed some major problems due to the centralized vision of the supply chain and the sub-optimal performance of centralized decision-making. For the current highly dynamic markets, this generates major inefficiencies in operation throughout the supply chain.

This book collects the latest research regarding non-hierarchical manufacturing networks and provides enterprises with valuable models, methods and guidelines to improve their competitiveness.

Raúl Poler is Professor in Operations Management and Operations Research at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). His key research topics include Enterprise Modelling, Collaborative Networks, Knowledge Management, Production Planning and Control and Supply Chain Management.

Luis Maia Carneiro has been Operational Manager of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Unit of INESC Porto, Portugal since 1996. His key research interests include Collaborative Networks and Innovation Management.

Thomas Jasinski is a Senior Research Associate at the Laboratory of Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) at RWTH Aachen University, Germany currently working on his PhD in Industrial Engineering/Production Management.

Marc Zolghadri is currently the Head of Design Engineering (ICO) of IMS-Bordeaux Labs (Laboratoire d'Intégration du Materiau au Système) at Bordeaux 1 University, France. His key research topics include Enterprise Modelling, Engineering Design, Extended product design as well as Supply Chain Management.

Paolo Pedrazzoli is Professor in Modeling and Simulation at SUPSI (University of Applied Science of Southern Switzerland). He is head of the SPS-Lab (Sustainable Production System Laboratory) and the BSc degree course in Industrial Engineering at SUPSI.