From an Opportunity Identification to its Manufacturing: a Reference Model for Virtual Enterprises

In the recent years the model of Virtual Enterprises has been described as a new or innovative organisation form for manufacturing enterprises. Nevertheless there is a lack of a complete reference model of virtual enterprises that could be largely used and applied. The present paper describes such a reference model and its application in a project carried out in Brazil since July 1998, with a group of nine manufacturing and technology based Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) which forms a Virtual Organisation. A Framework has been developed at the beginning of the project as a structure and guideline for its creation. In this Framework the Virtual Organisation is considered as a stable network of enterprises that aim to co-operate among them and target to create several different Virtual Enterprises. Therefore a Virtual Enterprise is defined as a Business Opportunity driven co-operation between existing and independent enterprises. A proposed reference model (function and information) is then described as well as its methods, tools and infrastructures. Examples of the methods adapted or developed are Benchmarking, Business Plan, Competence Matching and others. In terms of tools an Internet based Competence search has been developed. Regarding the infrastructures three of them are detailed: legal, information and cultural.