Business Integrator Dynamic Support Agents for Virtual Enterprise

Objective

The BIDSAVER Project aims at the assessment and development of a framework for the constitution and operation of Virtual Enterprises, with the participation of SMEs searched through web based information agents, dynamically organised according to best-fit criteria. The Project will deliver a methodology, reference process and data models, and relevant ICT infrastructure tools, to allow for standardised cooperative project conduction and for dynamic search of Partners through the Web, suitable for both the fast constitution and the dynamic upgrade and the operations of the Virtual Enterprise; and a legal framework for the management of relationships among the Virtual Enterprises Partner and between the market and the Virtual Enterprise.
The project will develop a methodological, technological and legal frame to support SMEs' competitive potential through the constitution and operation of Virtual Enterprises (VE), joining geographically dispersed SMEs to catch business opportunities, and managed on the basis of competitiveness-oriented criteria by a new entity, the Business Integrator. It covers the dynamic connotation of VE, with the selection of optimised Partners' sets through Internet-based search, and will develop and validate through two pilot projects.
The project will define market based requirements on Ves. Define operational concept for VEs and associated methodology, allowing for the definition of the required legal framework and for the identification of the conceptual structure of supporting functions and methods; and develop reference system prototype according to an incremental methodology, to exploit feedback from pilot operations.

Objectives:
BIDSAVER will develop a methodological, technological and legal frame to support SMEs' competitive potential through the constitution and operation of Virtual Enterprises (VE), joining geographically dispersed SMEs to catch business opportunities, and managed on the basis of competitiveness-oriented criteria by a new entity, the Business Integrator.
BIDSAVER covers the dynamic connotation of VE, with the selection of optimised Partners' sets through Internet-based search, and will develop and validate through two pilot projects:
A legal frame for the VE, to regulate co-operation and to provide general contractual terms and conditions
A code of practice and technological frame, in view of a "Plug and Play" search for co-operation-ready partners and of rapid customisation of commercial solutions for functions like project management
A prototype management system, leveraging on e-Commerce and Internet technology, based on the concept of integrated product, project and organisation views

Work description:
BIDSAVER will deliver technologies and methodologies for the creation and operation of Virtual Enterprises among SMEs in different business sectors. The project is organised in the following logic steps:
Define market based requirements on VEs; this through a bottom-up approach, starting from the space satellites and the mechanical equipment market sectors, and from two VE types, the value network oriented and the supply chain based VE
Define operational concept for VEs and associated methodology, allowing for the definition of the required legal framework and for the identification of the conceptual structure of supporting functions and methods
Develop reference system prototype according to an incremental methodology, to exploit feedback from pilot operations. Initially, an early ICT prototype will be released to allow for Pilot Operation start, then a second prototype with full functional coverage will be integrated and lastly the final prototype, including the upgrades coming from Pilot Operations, will be produced. System is composed of a set of commercial solutions for VE operation (Project management, active cycle, etc.), plus three management modules
Conduct pilot application of methodology and ICT solution, applied to actual industrial cases:
The value network pilot focusing on the development of micro-satellites
A supply chain pilot, to cover a Virtual Enterprise for mechanical equipment.

Milestones:
milestones
- Availability of methodology and Virtual Enterprise (VE) models, resulting from Work Packages 1 and 2, at T0+9 months
- Availability of Early ICT prototype, resulting from WP 3, at T0+16 months
- Availability of ICT prototype, resulting from WP 3, at T0+21 months

Expected results:
- Methodology framework for VE life cycle, consolidated through two pilot projects
- Reference VE process and data modelsL%- VE legal framework and reference agreements
- VE management system prototype

Fields of science

• natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternet
• engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
• social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementcommercee-commerce

Programme(s)

• FP5-IST - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on a "User-friendly information society, 1998-2002"

Topic(s)

• 1.1.2.-2.2.3 - Dynamic networked organisations

Call for proposal

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (11)