Conference Workshop Presentation at the Seventh International Conference on "Interoperability for Enterprise Systems and Applications 24" as a summary introduction to the FLEXINET EU FP7 Project "Intelligent Systems Configuration Services for Flexible Dynamic Global Production Networks", authors R.I.M. Young (Loughborough University), K. Popplewell (Coventry University), F-W. Jaekel (Fraunhofer IPK), B. Otto (Technical University of Dortmund), G. Bhullar (Control 2K Ltd.)

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Intelligent Systems Configuration Services for
Flexible Dynamic Global Production Networks
The FLEXINET project no. 688627 is funded under the Seventh Framework Programme
FP7-2013-NMP-ICT-FOF (RTD) - Duration: 1st July 2013 – 30th June 2016
For further information contact the project coordinator,
Dr Bob Young. Email: R.I.Young@lboro.ac.uk
R.I.M. Young - K. Popplewell – F-W. Jaekel - B. Otto – G. Bhullar

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FLEXINET aims:
• To understand how best to configure
and re-configure a global production
network, in the context of ever
changing product-service
requirements.
• To provide software services that
support the design and provision of
flexible interoperable networks of
production systems that can rapidly
and accurately be re-configured
FLEXINET Supports:
• Flexible configuration of production -
risk & economic management
• Decision support systems for
selecting the best system network
• Product-service co-evolution

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3 of 13The FLEXINET Concept

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Sales
PRODUCT/SERVICE
DEFINITION
produces a “paper” definition
(PLM, CAE)
COMMERCIAL
Market establishment to orders
- internal and external
(CRM, ERP)
Delivery
Works
Order
Viability Offer (or
rejection opportunity)
REALISATION
Satisfies orders
(MES)
Inside the enterprise,
product/service
decisions can be
perceived against three
business process
strands.
These process strands,
and the necessary
underlying business
knowledge is inter-
related
Current tools to support
these strands are not
well linked
Concept and
feasibility design
The Enterprise Context for FLEXINET

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Global Production Knowledge impinges on all 3 process strands
There are many
potential global
production network
solutions
Network
knowledge
supports
network
configuration
Production Network
knowledge supports
early
product/service
viability decisions

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FLEXINET emphasis on ‘early’ business decision support
There are many
potential global
production network
solutions
Network
knowledge
supports
network
configuration
Production Network
knowledge supports
early
product/service
viability decisions
FLEXINET: especially targeted at an
improved and rapid understanding
of new business development
opportunities

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The Enterprise has many potential external constraints
Enterprise
Environment
Environmental
Data / Trends
Laws &
Regulations
Logistical
Costs
???
???
Enterprise
Strategy
Operations / Processes
Resource Infrastructure
Business Model
Balanced
Scorecard
These global
external
constraints form a
fundamental input
to effective
decision making

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8 of 13FLEXINET Services supporting the Enterprise

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9 of 13The FLEXINET approach - Reference Ontologies
Enterprise ontologies must
be built from a common
base for ease of
construction, effective
interoperability and
flexible re-use

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Enterprise
Strategy
Operations / Processes
Balanced
Scorecard
Resource Infrastructure
Business
Models
The FLEXINET approach – Business Models
Business models must
address strategic issues of
cost and risk as well as
operational issues. Most
importantly the
relationships between
these issues must be
considered, as must
external global factors
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FLEXINET Services
Strategic Business
Model Evaluator
Production Network
Configurator
Product-Service
Co-evolution
Management
11 of 13The FLEXINET approach – FLEXINET Services
analyse proposed changes in the
context of the existing network
inter-relationships in a simulation
based “what-if” analysis of cost
and risk
support network configuration
based on Social, Technological,
Economic, Environmental and
Political factors
ensure that new product-service-
production network elements
remain compliant in terms of
combined PLM/SLM requirements

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FLEXINET: end user benefits
Improved response to customer requirements.
Radical improvements in the evaluation of the critical
parameters involved in network configuration.
Reduced cost of introducing new product/service
variants.
Improved scheduling and decision making within the
production network.
Improved robustness of the supply network in its
ability to work to forecast.
Improved energy control and optimisation.
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Expected results
 new methods and models to help businesses
understand the complexity of global production
networks and the potential impacts of change
 software services that support decisions on the
re-configuration of global production networks to
meet product-service change requirements
 reference ontologies and methods that can be
standardised to support the multi-organisation
interactions required in global production
networks.
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