Assessing an organization´s preparedness for the virtual enterprise: the TEMPLET model

The CALS community has been developing virtual enterprise tools since the mid-1980s. This paper discusses the development of a model of an organization´s virtual enterprise capability that draws on the experience and perceptions of the CALS practitioner community. The model, called the TEMPLET model, is a hierarchical model with four main capability elements: technology, information management, organization and process. Specific capabilities for each element are defined. The model was verified through a practitioner survey and a set of field studies. The relative importance of each element and item is discussed. Adjustments to the model are proposed as well as a reduced model that could be used to gain a quick picture of an organization. The TEMPLET model is of interest to practitioners as a model of an organization´s VE capability. For the academic community, it provides a model that can be used to develop VE assessment and improvement capability tools. For both communities, it summarizes years of CALS experience and how it impacts on our understanding of the development of virtual enterprises.