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Current potential research project

Development of holistic decision model for Collaborative Manufacturing Network (CMN) in Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises

  1. Supervisors: Dr Sev Nagalingam
  2. Area: Manufacturing Engineering/ Management
  3. Abstract: Due to the increased exposure to competition through globalisation and free trade agreements, manufacturers are challenged to continuously provide high quality products at prices that low cost countries offer. Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs), which represent nearly 60% of manufacturing activity in many countries, face the same pressures as large companies, but often do not have adequate resources to remain competitive and grow. Therefore, SMMEs need to innovate and find new ways to overcome these challenges. Using a Collaborative Manufacturing Network (CMN) is a way forward to address these challenges. A CMN enables enterprises to establish close links in order to exploit each other’s core competencies and be competitive in the marketplace [1]. However, collaborative processes among enterprises are very complex and dynamic [2, 3], since the participants have to resolve many economic, manufacturing, operational and sustainability related issues and share key and sometimes confidential information among all members in the network. These issues and the new organisational settings required to participate in a CMN, hinder SMMEs being part of a successful network [4]. There are three overarching research questions:
    1. What are the decisions that impact on a CMN?
    2. How can the business collaborations among independent and independent participants in a CMN be modelled and accurately defined in the context of a CMN? and
    3. How can this knowledge be transferred as a benchmark to SMMEs?
  4. Related references:
    • Danilovic M, Winroth M. A tentative framework for analyzing integration in collaborative manufacturing network settings: a case study. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 2005;22(1-2):141-158.
    • Cil I, Alpturk O, Yazgan HR. A new collaborative system framework based on a multiple perspective approach: InteliTeam. Decision Support Systems 2005;39(4):619-641.
    • Perrin O, Wynen F, Bitcheva J, Godart C. A Model to Support Collaborative Work in Virtual Enterprises. In: van derAalst WMP, editor. International Conference of Business Process Management; 2003; Eindhoven, The Netherlands: Springer-Verlag; 20033.
    • 5Bilbao N, del Pozo D, Lopez JM, Etxaniz I. The collaborative manufacturing approach. In: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics; 2004 24-26 June; 2004. p. 23- 26
    • Nagalingam, S. and De Fretes, O., Integration of small and medium manufacturing enterprises through collaborative partnerships, 7th ANZAM Operations, Supply Chain and Services Management Symposium 2009, Adelaide, 8-10 June 2009, pp 312-325
    • 6) Lin, H-W., Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C.I., Interactive meta-goal programming: An approach to support collaborative manufacturing decision-making processes. (Submitted to RCIM June 2007. Available online 3 December 2007), Vol 25, Issue 1, Feb 2009, pp 135 - 154

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