# Collaborative Planning in Non-Hierarchical Networks--An Intelligent Negotiation-Based Framework
## 3 Framework Proposal
Major problems to tackle in this planning phase are the priority rules (Who allocates? Who manages?) and the availability of partners. The planning objective is to minimize/maximize specific criteria, such as the overall cost of the supply network solution, partners' historic behavior regarding the collaboration degree, the manufacturing flexibility, and product quality, while simultaneously meeting the required delivery date. To assure transparency in the subsequent negotiation process, the broker and the selected partners collaboratively define the criteria that will support subsequent decisions in the process, i.e., the multicriteria assessment of the plan proposals. For the designated list of criteria items, it is possible to assign a level of significance by utilizing a percentage score as a weighting factor. This score serves as a representation of the importance assigned by the partners to each criterion, enabling them to be ranked accordingly. The framework achieves two essential objectives through its collaborative approach to defining the criteria selection. Firstly, it enhances the transparency of the negotiation process by providing clarity on how the best solution is achieved and evaluated. Secondly, it increases the likelihood of incorporating criteria items that maximize both the potential gains for the customer's proposal and the internal efficiency of the network. This pivotal step ensures the conditions necessary for a non-hierarchical network. Simultaneously, the networked partners mutually agree upon the conditions that determine the conclusion of the negotiation, including the designated end date and the maximum number of iterations permissible during the collaborative planning negotiation. Afterward, the broker, according to the product specification operation list, details an operation frame interval (with starting and finishing dates) for each production stage, generating an initial solution (\"rough\" plan). Every partner is provided with an initial \"rough\" plan that outlines the time frames for each stage, accompanied by a set of requests for quotations, corresponding to the allocated operation stages. Subsequently, each partner conducts a local analysis of their production capacity to determine the feasibility of accepting the proposed dates and lead time for the specified quantity. On the basis of this assessment, a quotation is formulated, either accepting or rejecting the proposed plan, and suggesting one or more alternative options for the request. Based on these quotation responses, the negotiation process continues through the identification of the possible best solutions and evaluating them according to the agreed criteria. Subsequently, leveraging the previous responses, the framework initiates another iteration by intelligently refining the proposal framing, taking into account the assessment of the available information. It then proceeds to send a new set of requests for quotations, allocating one for each operation stage to each partner. The negotiation process continues until the end negotiation conditions are met, the negotiation period terminates, or the maximum number of iterations is completed. Subsequently, the best evaluated solution according to the agreed multiple criteria is selected, and the corresponding response to the customer is sent.