Ebook: E-Business and Virtual Enterprises: Managing Business-to-Business Cooperation

The fast progress in computer networks and their wide availability complemented with on one hand the "explosion" of the mobile computing and on the other hand the trends in the direction of ubiquitous computing, act as powerful enablers for new forms of highly dynamic collaborative organizations and emergence of new business practices. The first efforts in virtual enterprises (VE) were strongly constrained by the need to design and develop horizontal infrastructures aimed at supporting the basic collaboration needs of consortia of enterprises. Even pilot projects that were focused on specific business domains were forced to first develop some basic infrastructures before being able to develop their specific business models. Nowadays, although there is still a need to consolidate and standardize the horizontal infrastructures, the focus is more and more directed to the development of new vertical business models and the corresponding support tools. At the same time, in the earlier R&D projects, the attention was almost exclusively devoted to the operation phase of the VE life cycle, while now there are more activities addressing the creation phase, developing mechanisms to support the rapid formation of new virtual organizations for new business opportunities. In order to complete the life cycle, there is a need to also invest on support for VE dissolution.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiv
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Will the Organisation Disappear? The Challenges of the New Economy and Future Perspectives....Pages 3-20
A New Paradigm for the next Century: The Task Oriented Job Market....Pages 21-28
E-Diagnosis: Knowledge Management and Organizational Change in Virtual Times....Pages 29-36
A Diary Using Fuzzy Sets....Pages 37-44
Front Matter....Pages 45-45
Infrastructure for the Advanced Virtual Enterprise: A Report Using a Brazilian-Based Example....Pages 47-62
Linking Smes’ Clusters: A View of the Information Infrastructure....Pages 63-70
Working Efficiently with the Service Industries....Pages 71-78
VE Infrastructures Requirements for Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing....Pages 79-86
Front Matter....Pages 87-87
Supporting Agility in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 89-104
The SACE-CSCW Framework: An Infrastructure to Support Virtual Enterprises and Concurrent Engineering Processes....Pages 105-112
Design of a Computer-Supported Cooperative Environment for Small and Medium Enterprises....Pages 113-126
Environment for Design and Analysis of System Integration....Pages 127-134
Front Matter....Pages 135-135
Requirements for an Agent Based Information System Supporting Variably Coupled Networked Enterprises....Pages 137-144
Federated Multi-Agent Scheduling in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 145-156
The Netman Agent-Based Architecture for E-Business in Network Organizations....Pages 157-166
A Mobile-Agent Based Architecture for Virtual Enterprises....Pages 167-174
Front Matter....Pages 175-175
Supporting Information Access Rights and Visibility Levels in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 177-192
A Virtual Project House Infrastructure for Distributed Development Processes....Pages 193-202
The Holonic Paradigm as a New Metaphor for the Coordination Problem of Virtual Enterprises....Pages 203-210
Protocol-Based Cooperation in a Virtual Manufacturing Organization....Pages 211-218
Front Matter....Pages 219-219
Agent-Based Infrastructure of Supply Chain Network Management....Pages 221-232
A Distributed Framework for Collaborative Supply Network Integration....Pages 233-243
New Tools for Multi-Stage Supply Chains....Pages 245-250
Supply Chain Management and Distributed Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry....Pages 251-258
Front Matter....Pages 259-259
Action Research: The Formation of a Manufacturing Virtual Industry Cluster....Pages 261-268
Exploitation of Business Opportunites: The Role of the Virtual Enterprise Broker....Pages 269-280
Agent-Based Brokerage for Virtual Enterprise Creation in the Moulds Industry....Pages 281-290
Front Matter....Pages 291-291
Logistics Support to Electronic Commerce in Brazil: Trends and Constraints....Pages 293-302
A Survey on the Use of E-Commerce by Brazilian Companies....Pages 303-310
Electronic Commerce with XML/EDI in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 311-324
Front Matter....Pages 325-325
The Price-Date-Relationship as a Negotiating Tool in Production Planning and Control....Pages 327-332
Production Planning and Control Information System for the Engineering and Make to Order Environment. A Virtual Enterprise Approach....Pages 333-340
The Design and Development of a Discrete Event Simulation System to Support Virtual Industry Activities....Pages 341-350
Process Support for Virtual Projects in the Construction Sector....Pages 351-358
Front Matter....Pages 359-359
CogNet: Integrated Information and Knowledge Management and Its use in Virtual Organisations....Pages 361-370
An It-Based Framework for Knowledge Management in Networked Organisations....Pages 371-380
Shop Floor Reengineering to Support Agility in Virtual Enterprise Environments....Pages 381-394
A Conceptual Framework for Aggregate Management of Virtual Enterprises....Pages 395-402
Front Matter....Pages 403-403
Virtual Organizations and the Cultural Dimension: Organization Rites in the Consolidation of Telework....Pages 405-412
Virtual Teams and the Organisational Grapevine....Pages 413-424
Front Matter....Pages 403-403
“Moral Infrastructure” and Virtual Enterprises: Ethics as a Competitive Factor for the Internet Commerce in Brazil....Pages 425-432
Informal Networks: Managing the Knowledge within Virtual Enterprises....Pages 433-440
Front Matter....Pages 441-441
A Methodology to Evaluate Enterprises to Become Members of Virtual Industry Clusters....Pages 443-454
An Assessment Model to Analyze Organizational Readiness to Implement Telework Arrangements....Pages 455-464
A Systematic Approach to IPR Definition in Cooperative Projects....Pages 465-476
Front Matter....Pages 477-477
Quality Certification in the Virtual Enterprise: An Objective Tool for Supply Chain Management and Customer Satisfaction....Pages 479-486
An Innovation Coaching Approach to Efficiently Introduce QM-Systems in SMEs....Pages 487-494
Using Knowledge Management to Improve Quality....Pages 495-504
Front Matter....Pages 505-505
A Combined Knowledge and Information Infrastructure to Support Product Development....Pages 507-514
Towards a Virtual Organization: The Rapid Prototyping Portuguese National Network....Pages 515-522
IPDM Systems....Pages 523-530
Back Matter....Pages 531-532

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiv
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Will the Organisation Disappear? The Challenges of the New Economy and Future Perspectives....Pages 3-20
A New Paradigm for the next Century: The Task Oriented Job Market....Pages 21-28
E-Diagnosis: Knowledge Management and Organizational Change in Virtual Times....Pages 29-36
A Diary Using Fuzzy Sets....Pages 37-44
Front Matter....Pages 45-45
Infrastructure for the Advanced Virtual Enterprise: A Report Using a Brazilian-Based Example....Pages 47-62
Linking Smes’ Clusters: A View of the Information Infrastructure....Pages 63-70
Working Efficiently with the Service Industries....Pages 71-78
VE Infrastructures Requirements for Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing....Pages 79-86
Front Matter....Pages 87-87
Supporting Agility in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 89-104
The SACE-CSCW Framework: An Infrastructure to Support Virtual Enterprises and Concurrent Engineering Processes....Pages 105-112
Design of a Computer-Supported Cooperative Environment for Small and Medium Enterprises....Pages 113-126
Environment for Design and Analysis of System Integration....Pages 127-134
Front Matter....Pages 135-135
Requirements for an Agent Based Information System Supporting Variably Coupled Networked Enterprises....Pages 137-144
Federated Multi-Agent Scheduling in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 145-156
The Netman Agent-Based Architecture for E-Business in Network Organizations....Pages 157-166
A Mobile-Agent Based Architecture for Virtual Enterprises....Pages 167-174
Front Matter....Pages 175-175
Supporting Information Access Rights and Visibility Levels in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 177-192
A Virtual Project House Infrastructure for Distributed Development Processes....Pages 193-202
The Holonic Paradigm as a New Metaphor for the Coordination Problem of Virtual Enterprises....Pages 203-210
Protocol-Based Cooperation in a Virtual Manufacturing Organization....Pages 211-218
Front Matter....Pages 219-219
Agent-Based Infrastructure of Supply Chain Network Management....Pages 221-232
A Distributed Framework for Collaborative Supply Network Integration....Pages 233-243
New Tools for Multi-Stage Supply Chains....Pages 245-250
Supply Chain Management and Distributed Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry....Pages 251-258
Front Matter....Pages 259-259
Action Research: The Formation of a Manufacturing Virtual Industry Cluster....Pages 261-268
Exploitation of Business Opportunites: The Role of the Virtual Enterprise Broker....Pages 269-280
Agent-Based Brokerage for Virtual Enterprise Creation in the Moulds Industry....Pages 281-290
Front Matter....Pages 291-291
Logistics Support to Electronic Commerce in Brazil: Trends and Constraints....Pages 293-302
A Survey on the Use of E-Commerce by Brazilian Companies....Pages 303-310
Electronic Commerce with XML/EDI in Virtual Enterprises....Pages 311-324
Front Matter....Pages 325-325
The Price-Date-Relationship as a Negotiating Tool in Production Planning and Control....Pages 327-332
Production Planning and Control Information System for the Engineering and Make to Order Environment. A Virtual Enterprise Approach....Pages 333-340
The Design and Development of a Discrete Event Simulation System to Support Virtual Industry Activities....Pages 341-350
Process Support for Virtual Projects in the Construction Sector....Pages 351-358
Front Matter....Pages 359-359
CogNet: Integrated Information and Knowledge Management and Its use in Virtual Organisations....Pages 361-370
An It-Based Framework for Knowledge Management in Networked Organisations....Pages 371-380
Shop Floor Reengineering to Support Agility in Virtual Enterprise Environments....Pages 381-394
A Conceptual Framework for Aggregate Management of Virtual Enterprises....Pages 395-402
Front Matter....Pages 403-403
Virtual Organizations and the Cultural Dimension: Organization Rites in the Consolidation of Telework....Pages 405-412
Virtual Teams and the Organisational Grapevine....Pages 413-424
Front Matter....Pages 403-403
“Moral Infrastructure” and Virtual Enterprises: Ethics as a Competitive Factor for the Internet Commerce in Brazil....Pages 425-432
Informal Networks: Managing the Knowledge within Virtual Enterprises....Pages 433-440
Front Matter....Pages 441-441
A Methodology to Evaluate Enterprises to Become Members of Virtual Industry Clusters....Pages 443-454
An Assessment Model to Analyze Organizational Readiness to Implement Telework Arrangements....Pages 455-464
A Systematic Approach to IPR Definition in Cooperative Projects....Pages 465-476
Front Matter....Pages 477-477
Quality Certification in the Virtual Enterprise: An Objective Tool for Supply Chain Management and Customer Satisfaction....Pages 479-486
An Innovation Coaching Approach to Efficiently Introduce QM-Systems in SMEs....Pages 487-494
Using Knowledge Management to Improve Quality....Pages 495-504
Front Matter....Pages 505-505
A Combined Knowledge and Information Infrastructure to Support Product Development....Pages 507-514
Towards a Virtual Organization: The Rapid Prototyping Portuguese National Network....Pages 515-522
IPDM Systems....Pages 523-530
Back Matter....Pages 531-532
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