Manufacturing on Demand in Production Networks

Abstract In order to increase their competitiveness, companies optimize their production by outsourcing and integration of the most efficient suppliers. On the other hand, they try to fulfil specific requirements by extreme customer orientation and manufacturing on demand. This leads to new organizational procedures and manufacturing systems. Their characteristics are: autonomous manufacturing cells, fractal units, adaptive systems, dynamic and agile management, self-optimization and self-control, customer-specific order management, communication networks. Particulary “manufacturing on demand” and the order management in production networks require new methods. This paper deals with the management of networks with virtual elements and a new method for MRP which is based on the principles of dynamic integration between fractal units in production networks (agents) and includes learning methods for time and cost improvement.