Prototype design of project management framework for distributed networked manufacturing

With the widely adoption of IT technologies and tool;, traditional manufacturing has been developed into a new phase-distributed networked manufacturing. Aiming at improving the agility and flexibility of producing capability, enterprises are trying to expand their business scope to accumulate plentiful manufacturing resources. Myriad studies have given emphasis to the specific technologies and tools, and some applicable systems were developed. But, to a manufacturing enterprise, these results are not enough to make this kind of manufacturing pattern working, and how to gain more competence advantage by effectively and efficiently execute the producing process is a more crucial key point. Therefore, much more research on this issue should be addressed from managerial and organizational aspects. In deed, product manufacturing process is usually deemed as a typical project. From this point of view, this paper is trying to utilize an organizational methodology to frame the managerial structure of distributed networked manufacturing. Focusing on the special management unit-product manufacturing node (PMN) the research analyze several dimensions, including strategy, organization, culture, technologies, knowledge and process, to support the formation of PMN. By organizational construct the structure of IIMN, our research put foreword a conceptually managerial prototype of framework for supporting the distributed networked manufacturing, and concrete a theoretical foundation for further study and research. Some concerned propositions for this research are presented and discussed.