A two-stage manufacturing partner selection framework for virtual enterprises

Abstract

A virtual enterprise is increasingly perceived to be an effective and viable solution to the problem of fulfilling the requirements of the present global market. One common key issue in designing a virtual enterprise is partner selection. Factors affecting the partner selection process can be divided into two categories: Hard and soft factors, Accordingly, a two-stage manufacturing partner selection framework was designed to assist the decision-making process in selecting efficient and compatible partners. Stage 1 mainly considers suitable partner candidates who can offer certain products or services in time with high quality at low price. Stage 2 focuses on the cooperation potentiality of partner candidates.