Future Challenges for Multi-Site Manufacturing System of Systems

In the multi-site manufacturing domain, system of systems (SoS) are rarely called so. However, there exist a number of collaborative manufacturing paradigms which relate to system of systems principles. These include supply chains and production networks, distributed manufacturing, dispersed network manufacturing, virtual enterprises and cloud manufacturing/manufacturing-as-a-service. This paper provides an overview of these terms and paradigms, exploring their characteristics, overlaps and differences. These manufacturing paradigms are then considered in relation to five key system of systems characteristics: autonomy, belonging, connectivity, diversity and emergence. To gain an understanding of the future challenges of multi-site manufacturing SoS, a roadmap has been developed and is presented in this paper. The main features of the roadmap are described: the vision for the domain, the current needs of the sector, the drivers of change, the technologies necessary, and the enablers of change. In addition to the roadmap, a set of seven recommendations are presented to inform policy-makers and funding agencies looking to support the emergence of multi-site manufacturing SoS