scholarly journals Market of Resources for Virtual Enterprise Integration

2010 ◽  
pp. 220-226
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik ◽  
Paulo Silva Ávila
Keyword(s):  
Core Competencies ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Competitive Response ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
Maximum Performance ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Operation Phase ◽  
Collaborative Outsourcing

Most definitions of virtual enterprise (VE) incorporate the idea of extended and collaborative outsourcing to suppliers and subcontractors in order to achieve a competitive response to market demands (Webster, Sugden, & Tayles, 2004). As suggested by several authors (Browne & Zhang, 1999; Byrne, 1993; Camarinha-Matos & Afsarmanesh, 1999; Cunha, Putnik, & Ávila, 2000; Davidow & Malone, 1992; Preiss, Goldman, & Nagel, 1996), a VE consists of a network of independent enterprises (resources providers) with reconfiguration capability in useful time, permanently aligned with the market requirements, created to take profit from a specific market opportunity, and where each participant contributes with its best practices and core competencies to the success and competitiveness of the structure as a whole. Even during the operation phase of the VE, the configuration can change, to assure business alignment with the market demands, traduced by the identification of reconfiguration opportunities and continuous readjustment or reconfiguration of the VE network, to meet unexpected situations or to keep permanent competitiveness and maximum performance (Cunha & Putnik, 2002, 2005a, 2005b).

scholarly journals Market of Resources for Virtual Enterprise Integration

2010 ◽  
pp. 918-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik ◽  
Paulo Silva Ávila
Keyword(s):  
Core Competencies ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Competitive Response ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
Maximum Performance ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Operation Phase ◽  
Collaborative Outsourcing

Most definitions of virtual enterprise (VE) incorporate the idea of extended and collaborative outsourcing to suppliers and subcontractors in order to achieve a competitive response to market demands (Webster, Sugden, & Tayles, 2004). As suggested by several authors (Browne & Zhang, 1999; Byrne, 1993; Camarinha-Matos & Afsarmanesh, 1999; Cunha, Putnik, & Ávila, 2000; Davidow & Malone, 1992; Preiss, Goldman, & Nagel, 1996), a VE consists of a network of independent enterprises (resources providers) with reconfiguration capability in useful time, permanently aligned with the market requirements, created to take profit from a specific market opportunity, and where each participant contributes with its best practices and core competencies to the success and competitiveness of the structure as a whole. Even during the operation phase of the VE, the configuration can change, to assure business alignment with the market demands, traduced by the identification of reconfiguration opportunities and continuous readjustment or reconfiguration of the VE network, to meet unexpected situations or to keep permanent competitiveness and maximum performance (Cunha & Putnik, 2002, 2005a, 2005b).

Environments for VE Integration

2010 ◽  
pp. 1020-1029
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Competitive Response ◽  
Maximum Performance ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Operation Phase ◽  
Collaborative Outsourcing

Most definitions of virtual enterprise (VE) incorporate the idea of extended and collaborative outsourcing to suppliers and subcontractors in order to achieve a competitive response to market demands (Webster, Sugden, & Tayles, 2004). As suggested by several authors (Browne & Zhang, 1999; Byrne, 1993; Camarinha- Matos & Afsarmanesh, 1999; Cunha, Putnik, & Ávila, 2000; Davidow & Malone, 1992; Preiss, Goldman, & Nagel, 1996), a VE consists of a network of independent enterprises (resources providers) with reconfiguration capability in useful time, permanently aligned with the market requirements, created to take profit from a specific market opportunity, and where each participant contributes with her best practices and core competencies to the success and competitiveness of the structure as a whole. Even during the operation phase of the VE, the configuration can change to assure business alignment with the market demands, traduced by the identification of reconfiguration opportunities and constant readjustment or reconfiguration of the VE network to meet unexpected situations or to keep permanent competitiveness and maximum performance (Cunha & Putnik, 2002, 2005a, 2005b)

Environments for VE Integration

2010 ◽  
pp. 499-507
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Competitive Response ◽  
Maximum Performance ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Operation Phase ◽  
Collaborative Outsourcing

Most definitions of virtual enterprise (VE) incorporate the idea of extended and collaborative outsourcing to suppliers and subcontractors in order to achieve a competitive response to market demands (Webster, Sugden, & Tayles, 2004). As suggested by several authors (Browne & Zhang, 1999; Byrne, 1993; Camarinha- Matos & Afsarmanesh, 1999; Cunha, Putnik, & Ávila, 2000; Davidow & Malone, 1992; Preiss, Goldman, & Nagel, 1996), a VE consists of a network of independent enterprises (resources providers) with reconfiguration capability in useful time, permanently aligned with the market requirements, created to take profit from a specific market opportunity, and where each participant contributes with her best practices and core competencies to the success and competitiveness of the structure as a whole. Even during the operation phase of the VE, the configuration can change to assure business alignment with the market demands, traduced by the identification of reconfiguration opportunities and constant readjustment or reconfiguration of the VE network to meet unexpected situations or to keep permanent competitiveness and maximum performance (Cunha & Putnik, 2002, 2005a, 2005b)

Business Alignment in Agile/Virtual Enterprise Integration

2011 ◽  
pp. 26-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Enterprise Model ◽  
Business Opportunities ◽  
The Right ◽  
Required Quality

The concept of strategic alignment between business strategy and technology is essential for improving competitiveness. The driving force of business is to fully satisfy customer needs with the right products/services, at the right price, and with the required quality and responsiveness in a global competitive market. In this context, by alignment we mean the actions to be undertaken to gain synergy between business, that is, a market opportunity, and the provision of the required product, with the required specifications, at the required time, with the lowest cost and with the best possible return. In this chapter we focus on a leading organizational model, the Agile/Virtual Enterprise model, characterized by a fast reconfigurability or adaptability face to the dynamically changing market and introduce the concept of a Market of Resources as the environment able to assure a permanent alignment of the networked structure with market. We also propose alignment strategies between business opportunities and the creation/reconfiguration of the Agile/Virtual Enterprise that is expected to meet that opportunity.

Market of Resources

2010 ◽  
pp. 891-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik
Keyword(s):  
Enterprise Architecture ◽  
Reference Model ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Organizational Model ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
Dynamically Reconfigurable ◽  
Main Requirement ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Monitoring And Enforcement ◽  
High Dynamics

Partners search and negotiation, selection, establishment of contracts, virtual enterprise integration, monitoring and enforcement of contracts, and so forth are complex and risky activities required by the virtual enterprise (VE) model. The need to keep a close alignment with the market environment in permanent change implies the high dynamics of the organizations’ structure reconfigurability, introducing a new concept of dynamically reconfigurable global networked structures, traduced by the agile/virtual enterprise (A/VE) organizational model. In the BM_virtual enterprise architecture reference model, Putnik (2001) presents “fast adaptability” or “fast reconfigurability” as the main enabler of business alignment and the main requirement for competitiveness.

Market of Resources

2010 ◽  
pp. 899-905
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Optimal Solutions ◽  
Organizational Model ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
Fast Change ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Selection Of

In the actual context of fast change, uncertainty, and competition, one of the most important factors of competitiveness is the organizations’ capability of fast adaptability to the market, which implies the ability of flexible access to the optimal resources (products, operations, services) for each of the functions that the organization undertakes in order to produce a product that meets the market requirements. This factor, together with the capability to manage all business and manufacturing functions, independently of distance, is achieved through the emerging agile/virtual enterprise (A/VE) organizational model, a particular case of the virtual enterprise organizational model. Partners (resources providers) search, negotiation, selection of optimal solutions, establishment of contracts and integration of the A/VE, enforcement of contracts, and so forth are complex and risky activities required by this model (see the articles “Market of Resources for Virtual Enterprise Integration” and “Market of Resources: Cost and Effort Model” in this publication).

Broker Performance for Agile/Virtual Enterprise Integration

2011 ◽  
pp. 166-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Avila ◽  
Goran D. Putnik ◽  
Maria M. Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Selection Process ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Selection Method ◽  
System Configuration ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
System Reconfiguration ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Organisational Model ◽  
Operation Phase ◽  
System Selection

The implementation of the virtual enterprise (VE) model requires an agent, called a broker, who undertakes several functions and whose increased performance contributes to the searched agility of this organisational model. From the set of functions that the broker can provide to the VE, there are some that may explicitly contribute to the process of VE integration. One of the processes that contributes to VE integration, either in the project phase, during the resources system configuration, or in the operation phase, when the system reconfiguration is required, is the resources system selection process. We will approach, in this work, the importance of the broker in the resources system selection through the comparison of his performance in that process to the performance expected of the VE itself, if the person for whom it is responsible (or principal) performs the same process. This comparison is made based on the simulation results obtained from a numeric demonstrator specifically constructed to quantify the time and cost of the selection process for both the selectors (the broker and the principal). We demonstrate that the domain of advantage for the broker, i.e., where the broker’s performance exceeds the principal’s, grows with the dimension of the tasks plan and with the number of preselected resources, and also with the complexity of the selection method.

Requirements for Agile/Virtual Enterprise Intetgration

2011 ◽  
pp. 98-131
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Space Dimension ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Solution Space ◽  
Market Opportunity ◽  
Selection Models ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Extended Life ◽  
Business Requirements

This chapter introduces the requirements for Agile/Virtual Enterprise (A/VE) integration, discusses reconfigurability dynamics and business alignment and proposes a virtual enterprise extended life cycle. The requirement of dynamic reconfigurability of the A/VE model is introduced in and the causes of reconfiguration needs are presented. This chapter also clarifies the concepts of basic resources and complex resources, and discusses concepts related with selection complexity, selection models and solution space dimension. It gives examples of reconfigurability dynamics, and introduces three dynamics parameters. The need of keeping the A/VE aligned with business requirements results in A/VE reconfiguration. The permanent business alignment of the A/VE requires a high reconfiguration dynamics. This chapter introduces a referential for A/VE alignment, involving the market opportunity (or the product required by the market), the A/VE project and the resources providers. It also presents the main functionalities that must be assured to support the implementation of the A/VE model. Finally, this chapter presents a new VE lifecycle, the Agile/Virtual Enterprise extended life cycle.

The Proposal of a Market of Resources

2011 ◽  
pp. 132-142
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Dynamic Reconfiguration ◽  
Enterprise Integration ◽  
Related Literature ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Effective Dynamic ◽  
Dynamic Integration ◽  
Cooperation Partners ◽  
Selection Of

A review of VE integration-related literature reveals that although considerable research has been undertaken focusing on selection of cooperation partners, development of infrastructures (mechanisms and tools) to support VE management and coordination, insufficient attention has been devoted to the problem of creating the environment where these processes take place (i.e., the environment to enable an efficient and effective dynamic integration, offering strategies for dynamically align the virtual enterprise with business to support dynamic reconfiguration). The concept of A/VE we are addressing is broader, more embracing and more dynamic than the concepts of Virtual Enterprise or Extended Enterprise found in the literature, as these do not require the dynamic integration we defend for agility, and for which we propose the implementation of a Market of Resources. This chapter introduces the concept of a Market of Resources as an environment to cope with the A/VE model requirements (i.e., an environment for Agile/Virtual Enterprise integration and business alignment) identifying the relevantrequisites related with A/VE design and integration, and defining its participants. It also illustrates the technical requirements to support the Market of Resources and how exiting technologies support the main processes of the Market of Resources.

Contributions to an Electronic Institution Supporting Virtual Enterprises' Life Cycle

2011 ◽  
pp. 229-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Rocha ◽  
Henrique L. Cardoso ◽  
Eugénio Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Electronic Business ◽  
Virtual Enterprises ◽  
Automatic Negotiation ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
High Flexibility ◽  
Suitable Framework

Electronic commerce competitiveness, due to market openness and dynamics, enabled the arising of new organizational structures, as it is the case with virtual enterprises. The virtual enterprise (VE) concept can effectively answer to new demanding market requirements, as it combines the core competencies of independent and heterogeneous enterprises that collaborate in a temporary and loosely linked network, thereby presenting high flexibility and agility. However, institutional and social laws must be introduced here to enforce and regulate individual enterprises’ behavior. An electronic institution is a framework that enables through a communication network automatic transactions between electronic business parties, according to sets of explicit institutional norms and rules. This chapter presents and discusses tools for automatic negotiation and operation monitoring that make an electronic institution a suitable framework for helping in the two most important stages of a VE’s life cycle: formation and operation. Moreover, the electronic contract concept is defined and discussed.

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