| In this dissertation we investigate the topological and dynamic characteristics of computer manufacturing enterprises needing to operate competitively in a rapidly changing business environment. Today business markets are highly non-linear, fast evolving and emerging. Crucial part of this dynamic structure is supply chains with innumerable interactions and inter-dependencies, altering global and local economies, and increasing customer expectations. In this sheer complexity and unpredictability enterprises look for different approaches to have more agile supply chains. They adopt different strategies to anticipate and quickly adapt to forthcoming changes. They are sensitive to environmental disturbances. In order to survive, they are in need of strong information flow and collaboration links with their suppliers, customers and even surprisingly with their current and potential competitors.;In previous studies, researchers had studied supply chains using equation-based approaches, traditional simulation based approaches, or a combination of both. However, these modeling approaches are limiting to capture the dynamics of today's complex adaptive supply chain systems. Therefore, in this research, we conceive and analyze a realistic computer simulated computer manufacturing enterprise ecosystem (CMEE) that provides insights into the behavior of enterprises that ought to be highly dynamic, scalable, reconfigurable, agile and adaptive.;We study the evolution of topological structures that form the computer manufacturing enterprise ecosystem by using complex adaptive systems theory perspective using an agent based model approach and network theoretic methods. The agent based model is built based on the self-organization and adaptation concepts borrowed from biological ecosystems and agility and alignment concepts from manufacturing systems. This study explores the underlying complexity and dynamism of the computer manufacturing market. Further it investigates the evolution of topological structures and dynamic behaviors that form the CMEE. It studies the influence and effect of decisions and actions of enterprises and changing trends in computer manufacturing environment.;The results of this dissertation showed that enterprises, which adjust goals and infrastructure quickly according to the changes in the customers, suppliers, and/or competitors survive longer in the CMEE compared to enterprises that resist change. Also, according to our findings enterprises, which adopt a cooperative behavior, benefit from increased collaboration and information flows with their neighbors and gain advantage over their greedy competitors. The findings also show that changes in environment condition and difficulty level of growing and branching out in the CMEE have statistically significant effects in market life expectancy of the CMEE.;Companies can use the outcomes of this project to build agile, robust, and adaptive enterprises that anticipate, transform, and thrive in harsh business environment conditions. The current project focuses primarily on desktop and laptop computer related companies as test beds to develop and demonstrate the approach; however the approaches and methodologies develop herein are broadly applicable to industries such as consumer electronics and automobiles sectors that operate in rapidly changing business environment. |
