A distributed planning network for manufacturing systems management

The paper describes a planning network (PN) which is to assist the better harmonization and higher quality and production volume of small and medium-size enterprises (SME), if they are joining their efforts by being active members of the PN. To be an active member (node) of the PN means to accept the production and quality rules of the PN and to offer a given amount of the SME´s planning and production capacity to the PN. The PN means a real-time online network with three basic functions. The local planning module (LPM), the coordination unit (CU) and the evaluation module (EM) are the three software units that covers the functions. This PN is a kind of virtual, or extended enterprise, however it is different because of the long-term cooperation of the partners, instead of working together only for 1-2 given orders. The intelligence of the PN is supported by expert systems in the CU and EM