The Proposal of a Market of Resources

Abstract

A review of VE integration-related literature reveals that although considerable research has been undertaken focusing on selection of cooperation partners, development of infrastructures (mechanisms and tools) to support VE management and coordination, insufficient attention has been devoted to the problem of creating the environment where these processes take place (i.e., the environment to enable an efficient and effective dynamic integration, offering strategies for dynamically align the virtual enterprise with business to support dynamic reconfiguration). The concept of A/VE we are addressing is broader, more embracing and more dynamic than the concepts of Virtual Enterprise or Extended Enterprise found in the literature, as these do not require the dynamic integration we defend for agility, and for which we propose the implementation of a Market of Resources. This chapter introduces the concept of a Market of Resources as an environment to cope with the A/VE model requirements (i.e., an environment for Agile/Virtual Enterprise integration and business alignment) identifying the relevantrequisites related with A/VE design and integration, and defining its participants. It also illustrates the technical requirements to support the Market of Resources and how exiting technologies support the main processes of the Market of Resources.