Marko Mladineo

Solving partner selection problem in cyber-physical production networks using the HUMANT algorithm

The idea of non-hierarchical production networks consisting of autonomous enterprises has been present in scientific community for more than 20 years. Although some global corporations are using their own production networks across continents, they are not similar to the original idea of non-hierarchical production networks in many aspects. It seems that this idea waited for production systems to acquire proper information and communications technology (ICT) or new industrial platforms, like Industry 4.0. The result is a new type of production network called Cyber-Physical Production Network (CPPN). The CPPN is, from ICT point of view, ready to act as non-hierarchical production networks consisting of autonomous production systems with many automated processes. One of the most important processes of the CPPN is a selection of optimal partners (enterprises) to be part of a new virtual enterprise, created inside production network. An optimisation problem emerges in this process, and it is called Partner Selection Problem (PSP). It is non-polynomial-hard combinatorial problem. Since metaheuristic algorithms are well-proven in solving that kind of problem, a specially designed metaheuristic algorithm derived from ant colony optimisation and named the HUMANT (HUManoid ANT) algorithm is used in this paper. It is multi-objective optimisation algorithm that successfully solves different instances of PSP with two, three, four or more objectives.

Selection of the Basic Lean Tools for development of Croatian Model of Innovative Smart Enterprise

The research within project Innovative Smart Enterprise (INSENT) was conducted in order to improve scientific understanding of the current state of Croatian manufacturing industry by promoting empirical, enterprise-level research on technological and non-technological processes and organizational innovation. The aim was to understand how manufacturing enterprise in Croatia acquire new manufacturing technologies, ICT integration within processes, new organizational concepts in production such as group work or relocation of production, new products that emerge from process and organizational innovation such as production-related services, and other demands related to Industry 4.0. In order to develop Croatian model of Innovative Smart Enterprise (HR-ISE model), analysis of global and local enterprises, based on literature review and questionnaires, has been made. A selection of six basic Lean tools is made, and foundations of generic configuration of HR-ISE model are defined. In further research, interviews with CEOs of leading Croatian manufacturing enterprises should help creating completely defined HR-ISE model.

Selecting manufacturing partners in push and pull-type smart collaborative networks

Abstract The idea of Collaborative Manufacturing, also known as the Production Networks or Social Manufacturing, has been around for more than 25 years. It is a production concept based on non-hierarchical collaboration among enterprises often referred as Virtual Enterprise (VE). Despite many scientific research and projects with this topic, it is difficult to find an example of fully operational non-hierarchical production network anywhere in the world. However, that fact could be changed very soon. Namely, the new industrial revolution, called Industry 4.0, encourages industrial enterprises to adopt information-communication technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) into their production systems, thus creating Cyber-Physical Production System (CPPS). From the aspect of production networks, CPPS represents crucial infrastructure, or a missing link between enterprises. Now, with CPPS in place, non-hierarchical networking and collaboration becomes possible through Smart Collaborative Production Networks. In this research, the concept of information system for Smart Collaborative Production Networks was developed and called ‘VENTIS’. Although the idea of the concept is to manage the collaboration inside Virtual Enterprise, in this research, a special focus has been put on manufacturing planning phase in which optimization problem known as the Partner Selection Problem (PSP) occurs. Since the PSP in manufacturing phase is far more complex than partner selection during the collaborative product development phase, new research premises regarding the Virtual Enterprise type have been set. Two types of Virtual Enterprise business models – Push-type and Pull-type – have been defined in this research. If VE is Push-type, HUMANT algorithm is used to solve PSP that occurs in that case. If VE is Pull-type, a special procedure, inspired by phenomenological reduction, has been established in which set of a priori created VEs is compared with theoretically ‘the best’ VE and theoretically ‘the worst’ VE. Enterprises’ data of production network from Dalmatia (Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia) is used as a Case Study to present ‘VENTIS’ concept and to present the procedure for creation of sustainable Virtual Enterprise.