The way virtual enterprises are co-operating will be more and more of importance within the next years. A typical form of this co-operation is that all involved enterprises operate in a temporary collaborative network to offer a common product or service. The topography of the so-called virtual enterprises is usually scattered. This requires a tremendous effort in logistic planning in manufacturing. Moreover the partnerships of virtual enterprises is temporary.
Some enterprises leave the consortium and some enterprises ensue.
Therefore the whole structure of virtual enterprises has to be very dynamic. Logistics in manufacturing, especially within the production of series, can be regarded as a relative continuous process which is not mainly influenced by the general market demands as it is in distribution of goods. Especially in that case it is possible to audit if multi-modal traffic concepts are suitable. Using multi-modal traffic services it is possible to decrease the logistic costs in many cases and additionally the ecological friendliness of the logistic chains can be improved. The question for most enterprises is how to prove, with acceptable expenditures, that the products are produced ecologically.