A new model to address global sustainable profitability: Technical and organizational issues

This paper reports the results achieved in two R&D IST different projects: SMARTISAN and SCOOP dealing with enterprise collaboration systems and practices. The paper includes: design methodologies for virtual enterprises, collaborative process design and simulation, IT tools and systems to support collaborative processes and enable new business models. We present the description of best practice cases developed in the context of above projects whilst focusing on the issue of technical and organizational integration. The results achieved will be the bridge to a new vision and framework to ensure sustainable profitability in dynamic business networks combining mass production outsourcing with the added value of customer centric mass customization. The proposed model addresses the virtual enterprise issues for customer value co-creation (processes), to network integration (systems). This model can provide clear guidance for the application of emerging technologies and collaborative process changes required by the organic transformation of global manufacturing organizations.