Supplier selection in virtual enterprise model of manufacturing supply network

Abstract

The market-based approach to manufacturing supply network planning focuses on the competitive attitudes of various enterprises in the network to generate plans that seek to maximize the throughput of the network. It is this competitive behaviour of the member units that we explore in proposing a solution model for a supplier selection problem in convergent manufacturing supply networks. We present a formulation of autonomous units of the network as trading agents in a virtual enterprise network interacting to deliver value to market consumers and discuss the effect of internal and external trading parameters on the selection of suppliers by enterprise units. © 2009 IFIP.