Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems and Environment Consciousness

In the past, manufacturing systems were configured once for a stable environment. But today, enterprises face a turbulent environment. Enterprises therefore have to be adaptable to it's permanently changing environment. This means, enterprises have to be able to configure there organizations continuously - we call it reconfigurability. Our work deals with the reconfigurability of future manufacturing systems. Looking on those systems we have to consider seven dimensions. In this paper we limit ourselves on the dimension organization, product, and information systems. In the past, manufacturing systems were configured once for a stable environment. But today, enterprises face a turbulent environment. Enterprises therefore have to be adaptable to it's permanently changing environment. This means, enterprises have to be able to configure there organizations continuously - we call it reconfigurability. Our work deals with the reconfigurability of future manufacturing systems. Looking on th ose systems we have to consider seven dimensions. In this paper we limit ourselves on the dimension organization, product, and information systems.