Last-Minute Manufacturing
* Article: Last-Minute Manufacturing. IMF Focus, Cambridge Manufacturing Review, Spring 2004.
URL = http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/service/cmr/04cmrspring/ifmfocus.pdf
Description
"What do we mean by a manufacturing grid and how would it be used? A working definition is “the harnessing of distributed manufacturing resources to satisfy emerging business requirements.” In practice, this requires an interconnected mesh of operations and services between businesses with different customers, markets and organisational goals. This would enable spare production or distribution capacity in one company to be available to other organisations, maximising the efficiency of the whole network. To make this work, an information structure is required that connects those wanting to buy manufacturing services with a compatible set of suppliers. The structure must also support contract placement, product design, agreement on delivery schedules, transfer of data and quality guarantees. While data is at the heart of the grid, it must also enable the effi cient movement of physical goods." (http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/service/cmr/04cmrspring/ifmfocus.pdf)