Reflections of Teaching Global Product Realization in Academic Virtual Enterprise

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imre Horváth ◽  
Paul Xirouchakis ◽  
Jože Duhovnik ◽  
Meindert Wiersma
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Product Realization

Design Competence Development in an Academic Virtual Enterprise

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imre Horva´th
Keyword(s):  
Technical Writing ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Spatial Vision ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Virtual Enterprises ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Holistic Design ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Product Realization

Development of competence has been one of the major issues and goals of modern academic design and engineering education. Nevertheless, our literature study revealed that we are still far from a common interpretation of design competence. There are different views on it which we called reductionist and holistic. In the reductionist view, design competence is considered to be not else than a set of low level competencies such as drawing skills, spatial vision, specialized knowledge, intuitiveness and creativity, verbal communication, and technical writing, which have been typically addressed disjointedly. In the holistic view, design competence is a synergetic construct of some generic capacities. We followed this latter view in our work. We studied the implementation opportunities and manifestation of holistic design competence at the development and conduct of our recent European Global Product Realization course. Based on our past experiences and the information from the literature, we assumed that holistic design competence is a construct of five generic capacities: capabilities, attitude, knowledge, skills, and experiences, and can be efficiently developed by concurrently focusing on each of these, respectively. The professional content and didactic approach of the course were designed accordingly. An academic virtual enterprise was formed with the involvement of an industrial company and universities of five countries. The course included two instructional streams, which have been called professional navigation and industrial project. This paper presents our interpretation of holistic design competence, the didactic aspects of developing the underpinning generic capacities, and their manifestation in the European Global Product Realization course. A qualitative research has been completed with the involvement of 46 students to make out how our approach contributed to the development of the elementary design competencies. The conclusion has been that our approach equally well supports the development of both the holistic design competence and the elementary design competencies that are needed by product designers to be able to successfully operate in geographically dispersed virtual enterprises. The students’ opinion has been that the course was challenging but rewarding from the point of view of their future carrier as product designers.

Virtual enterprise networks: the fifth element of corporate governance

2001 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-188
Author(s):  
Nicholas C. Georgantzas
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
System Dynamics ◽  
Transaction Cost ◽  
Transaction Cost Economics ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Enterprise Networks ◽  
Market Uncertainty ◽  
Competitive Edge ◽  
Exchange Governance

Although still flying low under the popular business media's collective radar, virtual enterprise networks (or nets) do receive increased attention in the strategic management literature. A virtual enterprise network (VEN) is a system of autonomous firms that collaborate to achieve common business objectives. VENs give participants a competitive edge in markets demanding agility and rapid response. Seen as an emerging transactional exchange governance (TEG) form within transaction cost economics (TCE), VENs and the relations among firms that form them posit challenges for researchers and managers. VENs differ substantially from markets and hierarchies, and from recurrent and relational contracts, utterly changing what it means to be a firm in today's business. This essay explores alternative TEG forms, their characteristics and the criteria that bear on the choice of corporate governance: flexible specialization, market uncertainty, product (good or service) complexity, reliance on trust, risk, self-organization, shared knowledge, and socio-territorial cohesiveness. The essay offers propositions on the relations among economic criteria and the choice of transactional exchange governance forms by exploring the dynamics of a generic TEG structure. This is a system dynamics simulation model that partially offsets the shortcomings of transaction cost economics (TCE) and points to the potentially rich contribution of system dynamics to exploring VENs beyond the ideal-type TEG forms of markets and hierarchies that dominate the TCE literature.

Designing a Virtual Enterprise Architecture using Structured System Dynamics

2006 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-29
Author(s):  
Nikitas A. Assimakopoulos ◽  
Anastasios N. Riggas
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Enterprise Architecture ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Business Goals ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Efficient Integration ◽  
Structured System ◽  
The Impact

The starting point for establishing a Virtual Enterprise is a set of existing enterprises which might contribute with some of their functionalities (core competencies) to the formation of the virtual entity. The most important issue, in this formation, is the rapid integration of the business processes of the participating companies. The architecture of the VE must assist companies desiring to enter into a virtual relationship by defining the functions and interfaces of critical business processes, thus allowing for a more rapid and efficient integration of the expertise which will be contributed by each partner in the virtual enterprise. While the integration of computer and communication technologies are no doubt critical issues, the successful attainment of the business goals of the virtual enterprise often depends on its ability to align the business processes and practices of partner enterprises. Focus of this paper, is the presentation of Structured System Dynamics (SSPS) multi-methodology for the design and the evaluation of a Virtual Enterprise Architecture. SSPS uses Systems Thinking and System Dynamics principles as launch pad for its approach. The Systemic Methodologies of Problem Structuring Methodology (PSM) and SAST are also integrated in this new Multi-Methodology. SSPS is a new practical and scientific tool in designing and evaluating a VE architecture providing the ability to determine the impact, reliability, success of the Architectures' models created, refine them and identify potential process improvements. A framework for the rapid and efficient integration of the business processes of the participating companies in the virtual enterprise is provided. For this multi-methodology, a real-life application is also presented for a Virtual Enterprise that constructs Wireless Payment Mechanisms.

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