Agent-Based Contracting in Virtual Enterprises

The Virtual Enterprise (VE) is a collaboration model between multiple business partners in a value chain that aims to cope with turbulent business environments, mainly characterized by demand unpredictability, shortening product lifecycles, and intense cost pressures. The VE model is particularly viable and applicable for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and industry parks containing multiple SMEs that have different vertical competencies. As small firms collaborate effectively under VE model, it will be only possible to emerge products by joining their diverse competencies and mitigate the effects of market turbulence by minimizing their investment. A typical VE model has four phases; opportunity capture, formation, operation, and dissolution. The goal of this chapter is to present a conceptual Virtual Enterprise framework, focusing on operation phase. The framework incorporates two key technologies Multi Agent Systems (MAS) and Radio Frequency Identification Systems (RFID) which are emerging from research to industry with a great momentum. First, state of the art for Virtual Enterprises and the two key enabling technologies are covered in detail. After presenting conceptual view of the framework, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) view is also given to enhance technical integration with available industry standards and solutions. Finally, process views of how a virtual enterprise can operate utilizing agent based and RFID systems in order to fulfill operational requirements, are presented.

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Using VO Concept for Managing Dynamic Security Associations

Agent and Web Service Technologies in Virtual Enterprises ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-648-8.ch016 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 267-287

Author(s):

Yuri Demchenko

Keyword(s):

Current Practice ◽

Resource Provisioning ◽

Virtual Enterprises ◽

Agent Based ◽

Dynamic Security ◽

Distributed Security ◽

Management Concept ◽

Security Infrastructure ◽

Security Middleware ◽

Security Associations

This chapter discusses how the Virtual Organisation (VO) concept can be used for managing dynamic security associations in collaborative applications and for complex resource provisioning as possible components of the Agent based Virtual Enterprises. The chapter provides an overview of the current practice in VO management at the organisational level and its support at the security middleware level. It identifies open issues and basic requirements to the VO security functionality and services and suggests possible directions of further research and development, in particular, VO management concept, VO security services operation, and basic VO operational models. The author hopes that understanding the VO concept and current practice in Grid of using VO for managing security associations will help developers effectively use Gird technologies and middleware for building distributed security infrastructure for Virtual Enterprises.

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An Agent-Based Operational Virtual Enterprise Framework enabled by RFID

Small and Medium Enterprises ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-3886-0.ch011 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 198-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

H. Özgür Ünver ◽

Bahram Lotfi Sadigh

Keyword(s):

Radio Frequency Identification ◽

Value Chain ◽

Small Firms ◽

Small And Medium Enterprises ◽

Virtual Enterprise ◽

Virtual Enterprises ◽

Multi Agent Systems ◽

Agent Based ◽

Business Environments ◽

Key Enabling Technologies

The Virtual Enterprise (VE) is a collaboration model between multiple business partners in a value chain that aims to cope with turbulent business environments, mainly characterized by demand unpredictability, shortening product lifecycles, and intense cost pressures. The VE model is particularly viable and applicable for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and industry parks containing multiple SMEs that have different vertical competencies. As small firms collaborate effectively under VE model, it will be only possible to emerge products by joining their diverse competencies and mitigate the effects of market turbulence by minimizing their investment. A typical VE model has four phases; opportunity capture, formation, operation, and dissolution. The goal of this chapter is to present a conceptual Virtual Enterprise framework, focusing on operation phase. The framework incorporates two key technologies Multi Agent Systems (MAS) and Radio Frequency Identification Systems (RFID) which are emerging from research to industry with a great momentum. First, state of the art for Virtual Enterprises and the two key enabling technologies are covered in detail. After presenting conceptual view of the framework, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) view is also given to enhance technical integration with available industry standards and solutions. Finally, process views of how a virtual enterprise can operate utilizing agent based and RFID systems in order to fulfill operational requirements, are presented.

Download Full-text