Decision support solutions for factory and network logistics operations

The paper examines the relationship of decision levels, performance measures and modelling and decision support approaches through the example of two implemented decision support systems for manufacturing and logistics application fields. Aside from highlighting the relevance of decision support for making industrial networks fit for emerging challenges, the relevance of the two presented EU FP7 projects VFF and ADVANCE to the Factories of the Future vision is shown. A discussion of the two projects outlines future research, with particular focus on challenges that arise from integration across levels of the decision hierarchy, within an organisationally heterogeneous network.