Distributed Manufacturing: Paradigms, Concepts, Solutions and Examples

Abstract

A simultaneous presence in several regions and in different regional markets has become more and more essential for suppliers and manufacturers alike. These configurations are enforced by volatile market demands, fierce competition, and high innovation pressure in order to capture lasting advantages in efficiency. In particular companies that have experienced rapid international growth through mergers and acquisitions are suddenly faced with the challenges of structuring, managing and operating effectively a network of geographically dispersed factories with worldwide transfer of assembly and manufacturing operations for similar products between multiple production sites in different countries. This competitive global environment imposes the continuous need to identify and exploit new manufacturing paradigms, adapted methods and cutting edge technologies. Little attention has been paid so far to the fact that distributed manufacturing structures and their full advantages may be exploited best if concurrency of information flows and operations is strived for. The competitive power of distributed structures lies in their abilitiy to put entities all together and make the net concurrent customer-driven, involving organisation, processes and business models. As competition starts pressuring whole networks, fast linking and interoperability as well as adaptation abilities have become crucial attributes for manufacturing companies.