Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Agent-Based Digital Networking in Furniture Manufacturing Enterprises

  • Conference paper
Networked Digital Technologies (NDT 2010)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 88))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

International competition and varying customer needs commonly cause small and medium furniture manufacturing enterprises to join dynamically- formed, ‘smart’ enterprise networks, established and operating using digital information technologies. In this paper, we propose a technological approach to support such enterprise networks which is primarily based on the use of software agents. First we outline the reasons motivating networking in furniture manufacturing enterprises and we briefly present core smart enterprise network concepts. Subsequently, we provide an overview of the main technologies currently used to support enterprise networks, and we make the case for utilising service-orientation and adaptive, (semi-) autonomous software components, such as software agents. Furthermore, we propose a four-tier software architectural framework based on software agents and web services, and we briefly describe the requirements, the architecture and main features of the e-Furn software system, which is based on that framework. Finally, we discuss the intelligent recommendation feature of e-Furn.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Databank: ICT and e-Business Impact in the Furniture Industry. Impact Study No 3/2008 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Camarinha-Matos, L.M.: Collaborative Networks In Industry Trends and Foundations. In: Cunha, P.F., Maropoulos, P.G. (eds.) Digital Enterprise Technology, pp. 45–56. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. van Heck, E., Vervest, P.: Smart business networks: how the network wins. Communications of the ACM 50, 28–37 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. van Heck, E., Vervest, P.: Smart business networks: Concepts and empirical evidence Decision Support Systems 47, 275–276 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Vervest, P.H.M., van Liere, D.W., Dunn, A.: The Network Factor - How to Remain Competitive. In: Vervest, P.H.M., van Liere, D.W., Zheng, L. (eds.) The Network Experience, pp. 15–35. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. Vervest, P.H.M., van Heck, E., Pau, L.F., Preiss, K.: Smart Business Networks. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Vervest, P.H.M., van Heck, E., Preiss, K.: Smart Business Networks: A New Business Paradigm. In: SBNi Discovery Session, p. 529

    Google Scholar 

  8. Xiao, L., Zheng, L.: Achieving Quick Connect with the Support of Semantic Web. In: SBNi Discovery Session 2006. Vanenburg Castle in Putten, The Netherlands (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Werthner, H., Fodor, O., Herzog, M.: Web Information Extraction and Mediation as a Basis for Smart Business Networking. In: Vervest, P., van Heck, E., Pau, L.-F., Preiss, K. (eds.) Smart Business Networks, pp. 405–419. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. van Hillegersberg, J., Boeke, R., van de Heuvel, W.-J.: The Potential of Webservices to Enable Smart Business Networks. In: van Peter Vervest, E.H., Pau, L.-F., Preiss, K. (eds.) Smart Business Networks, vol. 4, pp. 349–362. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  11. Busquets, J., Rodona, J., Warehama, J.: Adaptability in smart business networks: An exploratory case in the insurance industry Smart Business Networks. Concepts and Empirical Evidence 47, 287–296 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Rodon, J., Busquets, X., Christiaanse, E.: Orchestration in ICT-enabled Business Networks: A Case in the Repairs Industry. In: 18th Bled eConference eIntegration in Action. Bled, Slovenia (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Pramatari, K., Doukidis, G.: Intelligent Integration of Supply Chain Processes based on Unique Product Identification and a Distributed Network Architecture. In: SBNi Discovery Session, p. 369

    Google Scholar 

  14. Pramatari, K., Doukidis, G.I., Kourouthanassis, P.: Towards Smarter Supply and Demand Chain Collaboration Practices Enabled by RFID Technology. In: Vervest, P.H.M., van Heck, E., Pau, L.-F., Preiss, K. (eds.) Smart Business Networks, vol. Section 2, pp. 197–210. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  15. van Oosterhout, M., Koenen, E., van Heck, E.: Empirical Evidence from a Business Experiment with Small and Medium Enterprises in the Netherlands The Adoption of Grid Technology and Its Perceived Impact on Agility. In: Vervest, P.H.M., Liere, D.W., Zheng, L. (eds.) The Network Experience, pp. 285–299 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Boden, T.: The Grid Enterprise — Structuring the Agile Business of the Future. BT Technology Journal 22, 107–117 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Chen, X., Duan, G., Sun, Y., Gu, J.: Research on Key Technologies for Grid-Based Network Collaborative Design. In: Fourth International Conference on Networked Computing and Advanced Information Management, pp. 639–644. IEEE, Los Alamitos (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Collins, J., Ketter, W., Gini, M.: Flexible Decision Support in a DynamicBusiness Network. In: The Network Experience, Part 4, pp. 233–248. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. Douma, A., Moonen, H., van Hillegersberg, J., van de Rakt, B., Schutten, M.: Designing an Agent-Based Inter-Organizational Coordination System for Planning and Control of Container Barges in the Port of Rotterdam. In: SBNi Discovery Session 2006. Vanenburg Castle in Putten, The Netherlands (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Ketter, W., Collins, J., Gini, M., Gupta, A., Schrater, A.P.: Strategic Sales Management Guided By Economic Regimes. In: Smart Business Networks A new Business Paradigm (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  21. McAfee, A.: Will Web Services Really Transform Collaboration? MIT Sloan Management Review 46, 78–84 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Schroth, C., Janner, T.: Web 2.0 and SOA: Converging Concepts Enabling the Internet of Services 9, 36–41 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Laurent, W.: The Importance of SOA Governance. DM Review 17, 38–38 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Dominic, G., Margaret, L., Ashok, M., Hiroki, S.: The IEEE FIPA approach to integrating software agents and web services. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems. ACM, Honolulu (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Greenwood, D., Calisti, M.: Engineering web service-agent integration. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (SMC 2004), The Hague, The Netherlands, pp. 1918–1925 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Nguyen, X., Kowalczyk, R., Chhetri, M., Grant, A.: WS2JADE: A Tool for Run-time Deployment and Control of Web Services as JADE Agent Services. In: Software Agent-Based Applications, Platforms and Development Kits, pp. 223–251 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ramírez, E., Brena, R.: Integrating agent technologies into enterprice systems Using Web Services. Enterprise Information Systems VII, 223–227 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Blacoe, I., Portabella, D.: Guidelines for the integration of agent-based services and web-based services (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hendler, J.: Agents and the Semantic Web. IEEE Intelligent Systems 16, 30–37 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. García-Sánchez, F., Alvarez Sabucedo, L., Martínez-Béjar, R., Anido Rifón, L., Valencia-García, R., Gómez, J.: A Knowledge Technologies-Based Multi-agent System for eGovernment Environments. In: Service-Oriented Computing: Agents, Semantics and Engineering, pp. 15–30 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Karageorgos, A., Avramouli, D., Ntalos, G., Tjortjis, C., Vasilopoulou, K.: Towards Agent-based ‘Smart’ Collaboration in Enterprise Networks. In: 8th Int’l Workshop on Agent-based Computing for Enterprise Collaboration (ACEC) at WETICE 2010, Larissa, Greece. IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Carrascosa, C., Giret, A., Julian, V., Rebollo, M., Argente, E., Botti, V.: Service Oriented MAS: An open architecture. In: Proc. of 8th Int. Conf. on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS), pp. 1291–1292. IEEE Press, Los Alamitos (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Giret, A., Julian, V., Rebollo, M., Argente, E., Carrascosa, C., Botti, V.: An Open Architecture for Service-Oriented Virtual Organizations. In: Seventh International Workshopon Programming Multi-Agent Systems, PROMAS 2009, pp. 23–33. Springer, Budapest (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Karageorgos, A., Mehandjiev, N., Thompson, S.: RAMASD: a semi-automatic method for designing agent organisations. The Knowledge Engineering Review 17, 331–358 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Stuit, M., Szirbik, N.B.: Towards Agent-Based Modeling and Verification of Collaborative Business Processes: An Approach Centered on Interactions and Behaviors. International Journal of Cooperative Information Systems 18, 423–479 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Dong, L., Tjortjis, C.: Experiences of Using a Quantitative Approach for Mining Association Rules. In: Liu, J., Cheung, Y.-m., Yin, H. (eds.) IDEAL 2003. LNCS, vol. 2690, pp. 693–700. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Han, J., Kamber, M., Pei, J.: Data Mining: Concepts and Techniques, 2nd edn., November 3, 2005. Morgan Kaufmann, San Fransisco (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Wang, C., Tjortjis, C.: PRICES: An Efficient Algorithm for Mining Association Rules. In: Yang, Z.R., Yin, H., Everson, R.M. (eds.) IDEAL 2004. LNCS, vol. 3177, pp. 352–358. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Witten, I.H., Frank, E.: Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques, 2nd edn. Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco (2005)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  40. Rokach, L., Maimon, O.: Top-down induction of decision trees classifiers - a survey. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C: Applications and Reviews 35, 476–487 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Tjortjis, C., Keane, J.: T3: A Classification Algorithm for Data Mining. In: Yin, H., Allinson, N.M., Freeman, R., Keane, J.A., Hubbard, S. (eds.) IDEAL 2002. LNCS, vol. 2412, pp. 50–55. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  42. Cumb, C., Fano, A., Ghani, R., Krema, M.: Predicting customer shopping lists from point-of-sale purchase data. In: Proc. of the 10th ACM SIGKDD Int’l Conf. on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, Seattle, WA, USA, August 22-25 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Adomavicius, G., Tuzhilin, A.: Using Data Mining Methods to Build Customer Profiles. Computer 34(2), 74–82 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. TEI of Larissa, Karditsa Branch, GR-43100, Karditsa, Greece

    Anthony Karageorgos, Dimitra Avramouli & Georgios Ntalos

  2. University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece

    Christos Tjortjis

  3. University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, GR- 50100, Greece

    Christos Tjortjis

Authors
  1. Anthony Karageorgos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dimitra Avramouli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christos Tjortjis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Georgios Ntalos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Software Engineering, Charles University in Prague, Malostranske namesti 25, 118 00, Prague, Czech Republic

    Filip Zavoral

  2. Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Jakub Yaghob

  3. Al Imam University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Pit Pichappan

  4. Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

    Eyas El-Qawasmeh

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Karageorgos, A., Avramouli, D., Tjortjis, C., Ntalos, G. (2010). Agent-Based Digital Networking in Furniture Manufacturing Enterprises. In: Zavoral, F., Yaghob, J., Pichappan, P., El-Qawasmeh, E. (eds) Networked Digital Technologies. NDT 2010. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 88. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14306-9_39

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14306-9_39

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-14305-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-14306-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation