Dynamic Enterprise Structures through Virtual Organization Principles - Highly Integrated and Innovative

Innovations are the pre-condition for the survival of enterprises in today's turbulent environment. But the economic situation, as well as the high costs and risks linked with innovations represent a tough hurdle for enterprises. How to escape that vicious circle and how to approach enterprise securing actively? One answer is the virtual enterprise - the chronologically limited association of enterprises and their core competencies in order to develop a product together, place it on the market and distribute it. The essential advantages of these virtual enterprises are flexibility, as well as the force of impact through this association without the total costs and risks linked with the typical innovation efforts for the individual. But the acting in virtual enterprises also requires innovation-, process- and cooperation capability from the participating partners, particularly in regard to information and communication. Continuous and integrated innovation processes, as well as supporti ng information technologies are basic pre-conditions for acting in virtual structures. These requirements are far from being only a vision: trendsetting technologies, as well as new concepts for organization and process structures, in particular within the development process are ready waiting to lead enterprises from the crisis situation to active members of lucrative virtual structures.