Cooperation coordination in virtual enterprises

Coordination of activities is a determinant element in virtual enterprises. Proper coordination policies supported by flexible coordination mechanisms are necessary to ensure the cooperation among partner enterprises. This pa per presents the PRODNET approach to support coordination in virtual enterp rises. The adopted model considers on flexibility and configurability as th e key aspects to cope with the large diversity of expectable scenarios and operating policies in the virtual enterprise environment. A workflow based approach for coordination is described and especial emphasis is put on a mu lti-level coordination view. The developed software modules that support th e coordination mechanisms are presented, and finally some directions for fu rther research are given.