SOFTWARE WHICH COORDINATES PRODUCTION IN FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING NETWORKS

A FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING NETWORK (FMN) IS A GROUP OF SMALL MANUFACTURING FIRMS WHICH TEMPORARILY PRODUCE A PRODUCT WHICH NONE OF THEM CAN MANUFACTURE ALONE. IN EUROPE, FMN FORMATION HAS RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION. FMNS ARE UNIQUELY SUITED TO THRIVE IN RURAL AREAS, WHICH SUPPORT MORE SMALL FIRMS THAN LARGE, AND HAVE A WORKFORCE WITH THE NECESSARY TECHNICAL SKILLS. IN THE RURAL U.S. GREATER GEOGRAPHIC SEPARATION BETWEEN POTENTIAL FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING PARTNERS IS A BARRIER TO FMN FORMATION. THE POTENTIAL FMN PRODUCTION PROCESS NEEDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG SEVERAL REMOTE LOCATIONS. THE NEED FOR COMPUTERIZED COMMUNICATIONS AND COORDINATION SYSTEMS TO FACLITATE JOINT DECISION MAKING IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF RURAL AMERICA FMNS. SYNERGY SYSTEMS CONSULTING PROPOSES TO DESIGN A DISTRIBUTED PRODUCTION COORDINATION SYSTEM, OR DCPS IN RESPONSE TO THIS NEED. THE DCPS CONSISTS OF A SET OF LINKED SPREADSHEETS STORED ON MICROCOMPUTERS AT EACH FMN LOCATION. THIS SPREADSHEET PROVIDES A MODEL OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, AND IS LINKED TO THE OTHER FMN PARTNERS THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS. FMN PARTNERS ENTER INFORMATION INTO THE SPREADSHEET, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY RELAYS THE INFORMATION TO THE OTHER PARTNERS. THE DCPS MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR FMN PARTNERS TO ACHIEVE JOINT PRODUCTION CONTROL, AND MUTUAL DECISION MAKING.