A Grid Architecture for Manufacturing Database System

Before the Enterprise Resource Planning concepts business functions within enterprises were supported by small and isolated applications, most of them developed internally. Yet today ERP platforms are not by themselves the answer to all organizations needs especially in times of differentiated and diversified demands among end customers. ERP platforms were integrated with specialized systems for the management of clients, Customer Relationship Management and vendors, Supplier Relationship Management. They were integrated with Manufacturing Execution Systems for better planning and control of production lines. In order to offer real time, efficient answers to the management level, ERP systems were integrated with Business Intelligence systems. This paper analyses the advantages of grid computing at this level of integration, communication and interoperability between complex specialized informatics systems with a focus on the system architecture and data base systems.