The industrial virtual enterprise.

Virtually (temporarily) united to exploit a worldwide business opportunity, a consortium of companies manufacture products together none could build alone.

High-performance computer networks allow companies to collaborate electronically. Products that might not be feasible for companies to produce individually become feasible when the same companies share data and technology, an arrangement we call an industrial virtual enterprise.

An industrial virtual enterprise is a temporary consortium of independent member companies coming together to quickly exploit fast-changing worldwide product manufacturing opportunities. Industrial virtual enterprises assemble themselves based on cost-effectiveness and product uniqueness without regard for organization sizes, geographic locations, computing environments, technologies deployed, or processes implemented. Virtual enterprise companies share costs, skills, and core competencies that collectively enable them to access global markets with world-class solutions …