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AN AGENT-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR SELECTION OF PARTNERS IN
DYNAMIC VIRTUAL ENTERPRISES58.
Ped o Sanz Angulo
Juan José de Beni o
José Albe o A aúzo A aúzo
ABSTRACT
Ad ances in compu e ne wo king echnology and open sys em s anda ds ha e made p ac ically
easible o c ea e and manage i ual en e p ises. A i ual en e p ise, VE, is usually de ined as a
empo a y alliance o en e p ises ha come oge he o sha e hei skills, co e compe encies, and
esou ces in o de o be e espond o business oppo uni ies, and whose coope a ion is suppo ed by
compu e ne wo ks.
The ma e ializa ion o his pa adigm, al hough enabled by ecen ad ances in communica ion
echnologies, compu e ne wo ks and logis ics, equi es an app op ia e a chi ec u al amewo k and
suppo ools.
In his pape we p opose an agen -based model o a dynamic VE o suppo he di e en selec ion
p ocesses ha a e used in selec ing he pa ne s o a dynamic VE, whe e he pa ne s o a VE a e
ep esen ed by agen s. Such a amewo k will o m he basis o ools ha p o ide au oma ed suppo
o c ea ion, and ope a ion, o dynamic i ual en e p ises.
KEY WORDS: Dynamic Vi ual En e p ise, Agen , Selec ion o Pa ne s.
INTRODUCTION.
New In o ma ion and Communica ion Technologies (ICTs), which ha e hei maximum exp ession in In e ne ,
oge he wi h he ad ances in elecommunica ions and means o anspo , cons i u e some o he main ac o s
ha con igu e he new con ex in which cu en companies and o ganiza ions de elop hei ac i i y.
In his new si ua ion, success o excellence a e achie ed hanks o an e ec i e knowledge managemen (c ea ion,
s o age, ans o ma ion and use) which becomes he main sou ce o weal h gene a ion. And, o i , new, mo e
lexible and in elligen o ganiza ional s uc u es a e equi ed.
Las decades ha e been wi ness o he in oduc ion o new concep s, me hods, o ganiza ional o ms and
s uc u es which y o sa is y he demands o managemen and o ganiza ion p ocesses in hese complex
en i onmen s. Among hese new answe s, he pa adigm o Vi ual En e p ise (VE) has acqui ed a g ea
impo ance and some au ho s conside i as he o ganiza ional s a egy o he XXIs cen u y.
58 This wo k is amed inside he P ojec DPI2001-1903, inanced by he Spain Minis y o Science and Technology.
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The VE is an o ganiza ional s uc u e able o espond o he necessi ies o cu en ma ke s be e han o he
adi ional s uc u es, due o i s adap abili y and, o cou se, due o an in ensi e use o in o ma ion echnologies.
One o he i s s eps o make he company “ i ual” consis s on eplacing adi ional s uc u es o managemen
by in o ma ion sys ems which allow an e ec i e knowledge managemen . These in o ma ion sys ems a e, in
u n, he basis o one o he key elemen s o success o ailu e in any manage ial o ganiza ion: communica ion.
Thanks o he ools p o ided by mode n in o ma ion sys ems and ex ended compu e capaci y, we can ob ain
i ual designs wi h quo as o e iciency in communica ion and knowledge managemen be e han hose
achie ed by adi ional schemas.
In his pape we show some o he main cha ac e is ics o VEs, and y o con ibu e o hei imp o emen by
using some o hose mode n ools. Pa icula ly, we p opose an agen -based model o suppo he di e en
o ma ion p ocesses needed o selec he pa ne s o a dynamic VE (DVE, Dynamic Vi ual En e p ise), which
a e ep esen ed by agen s. Such a amewo k will o m he basis o he ools ha p o ide au oma ed suppo o
c ea ion, and ope a ion, o dynamic i ual en e p ises. Howe e , in o de o unde s and he VE, we i s need o
explo e he con ex in which VE a ises and e ol es, i.e., he en i onmen in which cu en manage ial
o ganiza ions de elop hei ac i i y.
THE NEW MANAGERIAL ENVIRONMENTS.
F om he 2nd hal o he XX cen u y, human socie y has expe ienced an ex ao dina y ans o ma ion, and
business can no ob ia e i s impac . Fas changes in poli ical, economic, comme cial, echnological and human
en i onmen s ha e d awn a new scena io companies ha e o ace.
F om he poin o iew o poli ical and his o ical en i onmen , e en s like he disappea ance o he Union o
Socialis So ie Republics (USSR), he ampli ica ion o he Eu opean Union, he ag eemen s o ee ade, e c.,
ha e de eloped wide ma ke s wi h a bigge libe aliza ion g ade, opening e y impo an oppo uni ies o
“adap able” companies. Ma ke s a e con igu ed in a global way, which omen s compe i ion and allows
economies o scale hanks o he union o di e en mic o-segmen s in wide en i onmen s.
The economic en i onmen , acco ding o (Cues a 98, Sanz e al 04), is cha ac e ized by he employmen
des uc ion in he “ i s wo ld” economies. Al hough, in a wo ld-wide le el he e is a descen o unemploymen
in las yea s, employmen c ea ion has mo ed om he mo e de eloped coun ies o he less a o ed ones, whe e
condi ions o es ablish new p oduc i e cen e s a e usually mo e a o able and labo cos s a e smalle . This ac
o igins insecu i y and a educ ion o he consume s’ pu chasing powe and, in consequence, a se ious p oblem o
imbalance be ween global o e and demand.
In a simila way, he comme cial en i onmen also displays signi ican cha ac e is ics. T adi ional ma ke s,
associa ed mainly o he de eloped coun ies, a e e y ma u e ma ke s wi h a high le el o sa u a ion and,
he e o e, wi h a e y limi ed g ow h po en ial. As a consequence, cu en ma ke s p esen business oppo uni ies
ha appea in p ecise momen s, in di e en geog aphical egions and o b ie e pe iods o ime.
Ma ke ma u i y also has e ec s on consume s’ beha io : companies mus ace clien s wi h di e en likes and a
high educa ion le el, who demand om ou p oduc s hose expec a ions we ha e waked up in hem. The e o e,
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in o de o compe e in his new en i onmen , i is necessa y o know he cus ome s’ necessi ies o make a
cus omized o e in acco dance wi h hei au hen ic pa icula desi es. In o de o ob ain his we can use
p inciples o ma ke ing such as mic o segmen a ion o pull s a egies (Sanz e al 04).
Du ing he las yea s, he concep ion o p oduc has e ol ed due o his ma u i y o ma ke s and clien s, c ea ing
a new en i onmen o se ice. Opposed o a echnical ision which conside s p oduc like a se o physical
a ibu es (sel -cen e ed app oach), a consume necessi ies based app oach is p e ailing. F om his new poin o
iew, people buy p oduc s no only by hemsel es, bu by p oblems hey sol e: consume s do no buy p oduc s,
acqui e he hope o ob ain bene i s (San esmases 93). In consequence, a p oduc is no only he sum o basic
bene i s i epo s, bu also, as Ko le shows in (Ko le 00), a se ies o o mal aspec s, like quali y, ma ks, s yle,
design, e c., which o m he angible p oduc , in addi ion o a se o added aspec s as pos -sale, main enance,
gua an ee, ins alla ion, e c., cons i u ing he inc eased p oduc , o simply, he se ice.
We mus ge su e ha his se ice sa is ies he clien s’ necessi ies and demands in he quickes way. Bu , how
can we do ha ?. The answe is in he pe manen knowledge o clien s and in he an icipa ion, which equi es an
app op ia e communica ion sys em wi h hem. This communica ion is he bes gua an ee o o e cus ome s
eally wan wi h an op imized cos .
This sou ce o business oppo uni ies has been a o ed and acili a ed by he imp essi e de elopmen o he new
in o ma ion echnologies (compu e science, elecommunica ions, e c.), main cha ac e is ic o he new
echnological en i onmen . Nowadays i is accep ed ha he inc easing use o he ICTs in luences in e e y
aspec o he economic li e and in he o ganiza ion and di ec ion o companies.
The accele a ed inc ease o p oduc i i y, and consequen ly o he compe i i eness o companies, is ela ed o he
ad ances o ICTs. Really, ICTs acili a e he adop ion o inno a ions and e o ms in he en e p ise o ganiza ion
and, on he o he hand, modi y he condi ions o compe i ion and he con igu a ion o ma ke s, causing a g ea
impac on he s uc u e and he i al cycle o companies. Cu en in as uc u es allows o in eg a e he di e en
componen s, mo e and mo e dispe sed om bo h he s uc u al and geog aphical poin o iew, by means o
e icien in o ma ion sha ing and communica ion (Sanz 04).
Finally, we ind he human en i onmen . People, and conc e ely hei specialized knowledge, ha e become he
eal di e en ia ing elemen s o o ganiza ions in de imen o echnology and o he esou ces ha can be easily
bough o eplaced in he global ma ke . Companies a e open sys ems, made up by people wo king in di e en
links o he alue chain. So we ind di e se o ganiza ions (supplie s, manu ac u e s, deale s, e c. and, o cou se,
he inal clien ), collabo a ing unde pa ne ship p emises ins ead o he olde clien -supplie concep .
The changes discussed p e iously lead us o one o he mos impo an cu en manage ial challenges: he
necessi y o ind a balanced solu ion be ween globaliza ion needs and he mic o-segmen a ion o local ma ke s.
A company needs o in e na ionalize i s o e sea ching economies o scale and, on he o he hand, i canno
o ge ha consume s demand cus omized p oduc s.
In o de o espond e icien ly o his challenge, i.e., in o de o adap o he new wo ld eali y, a company should
ca y ou ou necessa y and undamen al adjus men s (Cues a 98):
 Cos s uc u e op imiza ion, which allow o each compe i i e ad an age.
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 A global ision o he en e p ise, esponding o global ma ke s.
 Specializa ion o p oduc i e uni s, ela ing hem di ec ly wi h he mos app op ia e geog aphical
loca ion conside ing bo h s a egic as ope a i e easons.
 A ainmen o economies o scale, h ough commi men s o sha e p oduc i e esou ces.
Fo hese easons companies mus eplace he “ e ical in eg a ion” concep by he “ho izon al p ocess” concep
( educ ion o he hie a chical le els o he company), and unde s and he company as an open and global sys em
(Po e ’s alue chain), in which supplie s, clien s, and e en compe i o s, a e in eg a ed as a whole.
All he abo e analysis leads us o a mul iple and global company model, wi h a e y high specializa ion le el in
all o hei unc ions, lexible, adap i e and wi h a a iable and op imized cos s s uc u e o each bene i s acing
he inal p ices imposi ion by he clien s. A s uc u al answe o hese challenges can be ound in he VE concep
we discuss below.
DYNAMIC VIRTUAL ENTERPRISE.
The pa adigm o i ual en e p ise ep esen s a majo a ea o esea ch and echnological de elopmen o
indus ial en e p ises and an impo an applica ion a ea o web-based coope a i e en i onmen s. We can say
ha he VE concep is one o he mos impo an ways o aise he agili y and compe i i eness o manu ac u ing
en e p ises.
VE is a ac ing inc easing a en ion om bo h he academic and indus ial communi ies. Ex ensi e p og ams a e
being conduc ed wo ldwide on ele an issues o p opaga e he VE concep , o build VE p o o ypes, and o
ealize VEs (Chu e al 04). Many e ms and de ini ions ha e been p oposed o VE, bu so a , he e is no an
uni ied de ini ion. Fo ins ance, Cama inha-Ma os (Cama inha-Ma os 01) ega ds he VE as “a empo a y
alliance o en e p ises ha come oge he o sha e hei skills, co e compe encies, and esou ces in o de o be e
espond o business oppo uni ies, and whose coope a ion is suppo ed by compu e ne wo ks”. Fo he NIIIP
p ojec a VE is “a empo a y conso ium o alliance o companies o med o sha e cos s and skills and exploi
as -changing ma ke oppo uni ies”.
The main objec i e o a VE is o allow a numbe o o ganiza ions, physically dis ibu ed, o apidly de elop a
common wo king en i onmen using elec onic means and sys ems; hence managing a collec ion o esou ces
p o ided by he pa icipa ing o ganiza ions owa d he a ainmen o some common goals. Because each pa ne
b ings his s eng h o co e compe ence o he conso ium, he success o he p ojec depends on all co-ope a ing
as a single uni (Sanz 04).
Based on he di e en exis ing de ini ions, we can iden i ied wo well-de ined ca ego ies o VE, namely he
S a ic VE (SVE) and he Dynamic VE (DVE), (Ouzounis 01):
 In SVEs a se o business pa ne s is linked oge he in a s a ic and ixed way, i.e. he sha ed
business p ocesses a e igh ly in eg a ed. The business ela ionships among he pa ne s a e p e-
de ined, igh ly coupled, ixed, and well in eg a ed and cus omized among he pa ne s. The
ne wo k is ixed and p e-de e mined.
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 In DVEs a se o business pa ne s is linked dynamically, on-demand, and acco ding o he
equi emen s o he cus ome s, by deploying a i ual ma ke place. The business domains do no
ha e ixed business ela ionships and hus, he VE migh change con inuously based on ma ke -
d i en c i e ia. The ma ke place p o ides se ices o he egis a ion o business p ocess o e ings
based on some gene ic, well-known, globally speci ied p ocess empla es. Business domains ha
wan o o m VE ela ionships can egis e o e s on he ma ke place in ela ion o he p ocess
empla es. Whene e a business domain wan s o use a pa icula p ocess, sea ches he
ma ke place, and loca es all he po en ial pa ne s ha can p o ide he p ocess. As soon as he lis
o VE candida e pa ne s has been ound, he pa ne selec ion p ocess s a s. The pa ne selec ion
p ocess be ween he domains is usually pe o med h ough nego ia ion.
The main ad an age o he dynamic i ual en e p ise is i s abili y o link he mos sui able supplie o each
indi idual se ice o deli e a cus ome speci ic solu ion. Addi ionally, he DVE p o ide he abili y o ecognize,
apidly eac and cope wi h he unp edic able changes in he en i onmen in o de o achie e be e esponses o
oppo uni ies, sho e ime- o-ma ke , and highe quali y wi h less in es men . The DVE allow en e p ises o
pa icipa e in compe i i e business oppo uni ies and new ma ke s; his way, SMEs will be able o achie e
c i ical mass and appea in he ma ke wi h a la ge “ isible” size.
F om business poin o iew i is ob ious ha dynamic VEs imp o e signi ican ly he s a ic ones and ake ull
ad an age o he open, global, oppo uni ies o e ed by he In e ne and he global economy. Howe e , om
echnical poin o iew, he equi ed echnical solu ions and sys ems a e mo e complex, sophis ica ed and
dis ibu ed (Sanz 04).
The accep ance o agen s as an implemen a ion and communica ion pa adigm, he ex a capabili ies ha hey
o e , like mobili y, au onomy, in elligence, adap abili y, in conjunc ion wi h eme ging s a e o he a agen
pla o ms and s anda d dis ibu ed pla o ms, lexible con en desc ip ion languages o globally speci ied
on ologies, like XML, eme ging, XML-based wo k low s anda ds and pla o m independen p og amming
languages, can p o ide he basis o he new gene a ion o open, lexible, au onomous, and dis ibu ed business
p ocess managemen sys ems o dynamic VEs (Ouzounis 01).
AGENTS FOR MODELLING VES.
Basically, an agen is so wa e ha exhibi some o he ollowing a ibu es: au onomy, co-ope a ion, in elligence
and mobili y. I ac s ypically on behal o an use o a p ocess in a goal-o ien ed manne enabling ask
au oma ion i.e. hey ope a e p oac i ely in pu sui o hei goals.
Agen s ope a e a he au onomously o he use ( hey a e o en e en o ime igge ed), and may communica e
wi h he use , sys em esou ces o o he agen s as equi ed o pe o m hei ask. Th ough communica ion, agen s
may co-ope a e wi h o he agen s o ca y ou asks o o achie e goals beyond he capabili y o a single agen .
Agen ’s in elligence is based on i s abili y o sol e p oblems using a wide ange o easoning echniques and
lea ning mechanisms. Finally, agen s may be mobile, i.e. hey may mo e om one sys em o ano he o access
emo e esou ces o e en mee o he agen s and co-ope a e wi h hem. Agen pla o ms p o ide he suppo ing
so wa e in as uc u e needed o manage and execu e agen -based applica ions.

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F om he academic communi y he e is a s ong mo i a ion o use agen s as he echnology o modelling and
ealizing DVEs (Sobah 02, Cama inha-Ma os 99). A DVE is composed o dis ibu ed, he e ogeneous and
au onomous componen s, he pa ne s o he DVE, and he e o e i is na u al o use agen s o ep esen hem.
SELECTION OF PARTNERS.
Dynamic VEs ha e a limi ed li e ime, hus hey need o be o med e y quickly in o de o mee he deadlines o
he goals and he e is a need o o m hem o en. An impo an pa o he o ma ion is he selec ion o pa ne s,
who a e selec ed acco ding o he abili y o ul ill he dynamic VE’s equi emen s (0253).
The sho li espan o he DVE means ha he pa ne s ha pa icipa e in one DVE may also be nego ia ing on a
con ac wi h ano he VE. By delega ing agen s o do his job, he pa ne s ha e he ime o do he ac ual wo k
equi ed in he DVE. The abili y o delega e esponsibili ies o agen s and agen s being eusable componen s
makes hem a sui able means o ep esen ing he pa ne s in a VE.
We ha e de eloped an agen -based en e p ise model o a dynamic i ual en e p ise by analyzing he en i ies in a
VE, hei ela ionships and how hey can be used in an agen con ex .
The di e en agen s ake pa in a dynamic VE can be classi ied as:
 DVE Ini ia o o DVE Cus ome Agen , DCA: who akes he ini ia i e o o m he VE h owing a
necessi y.
 DVE Pa ne Agen , DPA: he agen s which ep esen s he membe s ha o m he dynamic VE.
 DVE Candida e Pa ne Agen , DCPA: ep esen s he en i ies ha would like o pa icipa e in
dynamic VE.
 DVE Rep esen a i e Agen , DRA: ep esen s he DVE o he cus ome , i.e. o he ou side wo ld.
 Vi ual Ma ke place Agen , VMpA: is he agen ha p o ides egis a ion an selec ion se ices o
dynamic VE candida e pa ne s. I is esponsible o adminis a ing se ices ypes an se ice
o e s.
The selec ion p ocess can be desc ibed as ollow:
 Phase 1: e e y DCPA ha would like o pa icipa e in dynamic VE ela ionships egis e s i s
p ocesses in he i ual ma ke place. The business p ocess egis a ion is pe o med by deploying
he exis ing se ice ypes p o ided by he ma ke place. I he e is no associa ed se ice ype o a
pa icula p ocess, a new one is c ea ed by possibly inhe i ing exis ing se ice ypes. This p ocess
can be done au oma ically h ough he VMpA. Du ing he egis a ion p ocess, ce ain alues o
ce ain a ibu es ela ed o he se ice ype, like loca ion, quan i y, e c., a e speci ied.
 Phase 2: he DCA eques s a business p ocess by a DRA.
 Phase 3: i one o he sub-p ocess o he main p ocess mus be p o ided by o he domain, he
sui able pa ne o his sub-p ocess should be loca ed. Upon eques , he VMpA in o ms he DRA
abou all he egis e ed po en ial DCPA ha can p o ide his sub-p ocess. The DRA can sea ch he
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i ual ma ke place based on some cons ain s an ge a lis o po en ial candida es ha can p o ide
a speci ic se ice.
 Phase 4: once he DRA has a lis o po en ial p o ide s he nego ia ion p ocess is ini ia ed: he
DRA will nego ia e wi h e e y DCPA. The esul o his nego ia ion p ocess is he selec ion o he
bes DVE Candida e ha sa is ies ce ain classi ica ion c i e ia. This candida e will ans o m in a
DVE Pa ne and he ag eemen will be desc ibe in e ms o an elec onic con ac ha egula es
he ag eemen .
 Phase 5: i one o he sub-p ocess assigned o a DVE Pa ne mus p o ide by o he en i y, he
sui able pa ne o his sub-p ocess should be loca ed. Upon eques , he VMpA in o ms he DPA
abou all he egis e ed po en ial DCPA ha can p o ide his sub-p ocess.
 Phase 6: once he DPA has a lis o po en ial p o ide s he DPA nego ia e wi h e e y DCPA. The
esul o his nego ia ion p ocess is he selec ion o he bes DVE Candida e ha sa is ies ce ain
classi ica ion c i e ia o he sub-p ocess.
Ob iously, phases 3 o 6 can epea so many imes as sub-p ocess mus be p o ided by ou side en i ies. The
selec ion model is depic ed in he ollowing pic u e:
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Figu e 1: Selec ion Model and Rela ions.
CONCLUSIONS.
In his pape , we ha e shown some o he main cha ac e is ics o p esen en i onmen s. In his new si ua ion,
success o excellence a e achie ed hanks o an e ec i e knowledge managemen (c ea ion, s o age,
ans o ma ion and use) which becomes he main sou ce o weal h gene a ion. And, o i , new, mo e lexible
and in elligen o ganiza ional s uc u es a e equi ed.
In his con ex , he pa adigm o Vi ual En e p ise has acqui ed a g ea impo ance and some au ho s conside i
as he o ganiza ional s a egy o he XXIs cen u y. The VE is an o ganiza ional s uc u e able o espond o he
necessi ies o cu en ma ke s be e han o he adi ional s uc u es, due o i s adap abili y and, o cou se, due o
an in ensi e use o in o ma ion echnologies.
The ma e ializa ion o his pa adigm, al hough enabled by ecen ad ances in communica ion echnologies,
compu e ne wo ks and logis ics, equi es an app op ia e a chi ec u al amewo k and suppo ools. Namely, i
equi es he de ini ion o a sui able open e e ence a chi ec u e o coope a ion, he de elopmen o a lexible
Cus ome Agen
DVE Rep esen a i e Agen
VMp Agen
DVE Candida e/
Pa ne Agen
DVE Candida e/
Pa ne Agen
eques se ice
eques
DCPA
DCPA
Lis
DCPA Lis DCPA Lis
DCPA eques eques DCPA
nego ia ion
nego ia ion
nego ia ion
Cus ome Agen
DVE Rep esen a i e Agen
VMp Agen
DVE Candida e/
Pa ne Agen
DVE Candida e/
Pa ne Agen
eques se ice
eques
DCPA
DCPA
Lis
DCPA Lis DCPA Lis
DCPA eques eques DCPA
nego ia ion
nego ia ion
nego ia ion
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and con igu able business p ocesses suppo ing pla o m, and he de elopmen o app op ia e in e ope a ion
p o ocols and mechanisms.
In his issue, we ha e p esen ed an agen -based model o a DVE ha can be used o suppo he di e en
selec ion p ocesses needed o selec he pa ne s o a DVE, whe e he pa ne s o a VE a e ep esen ed by agen s.
Such a amewo k will o m he basis o ools ha p o ide au oma ed suppo o c ea ion, and ope a ion, o
dynamic i ual en e p ises.
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