Abstract:
Virtual enterprises are
characterized by their dynamic nature
and transient work arrangements. This
in turn requires computer support
systems that go beyond workflow
systems to provide support for
process emergence and transient team
members in such enterprises. Such
support systems must be based on a
metamodel that is sufficiently
powerful to describe virtual work
arrangements and present an interface
that allows users to quickly form
teams, allocate responsibilities, and
carry out joint work. The paper
describes a metamodel, which
provides a foundation for building
systems to support virtual enterprises,
and a prototype system that supports
this model. It then describes the use
of the prototype in a teaching
environment.
