Towards the organic factory of the future)

Designing a manufacturing system that is competitive, flexible, adaptive and perhaps even sustainable in the future, has been challenging for the many researchers and practioners. In this paper and organic approach and self organising structures and processes are proposed as an alternative to design manufacturing organizations and the factory of the future (FOF). The paper analyses major patterns of the models that have been proposed for the FOF. It groups the model of FOF in relation to the major manufacturing management trends while discussing key issues that are centred on the FOF concept. It draws conclusions from similarities between the existing models of the FOF and proposed process of becoming organic and organic characteristics.