Production management in virtual enterprise

The reality of the present global market is that it is unpredictable. One component of ideal action by successful industrial enterprises will therefore make a conscious effort to master the ever-changing markets by manufacturing on demand. This will be an increasingly complex task in a global market with global competition, internationalization of technology development and research, shorter product life cycles, fluctuating sophisticated demand, short reaction times, lower costs, higher quality and diversification. A wide range of experience has shown that it helps to form small but powerful and dynamic manufacturing units, which operate in a customer-oriented manner within a manufacturing network. Manufacturing on customer demand requires flexible production facilities which can be rapidly adjust to market changes. This can only be realized by enterprises which operate in networks of complementary capacities. This significantly defuses coordination problems in the short-term resource planning and order management. The manufacturing units have to be autonomous and self-optimizing. To increase their productivity, they have to work with capable and safe processes. The logistics have to ensure short distances and flexible response. Standardized interfaces are needed to ensure good communication and information flow. The objectives of the manufacturing units have to be in line with the higher objectives of the manufacturing network. This paper will characterise types of manufacturing networks to reach synergistic effect.