ORGANIZATIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS - THEHOLONIC VIEWPOINT

This paper demonstrates that intelligent manufacturing systems can be designed so that they form part of a larger class of technical systems which are structured along 'holonic' lines. The properties of the hol onic organizational architecture are brought out, and applied to the d escription of intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS). This brings out the fundamental organizational features of IMS structures, abstractin g them from other issues to do with standardization, technical configu rations or costs, and enables a clearer understanding of the sources o f their superior performance over traditional, functionally structured and centralized manufacturing systems. Finally, the use of the holoni c paradigm as a design tool is illustrated, with a view to further dev eloping the organizational clarity and effectiveness of intelligent ma nufacturing systems.