Enterprise Integration Program

Category: Type 2 Architecture

Comments: EIP is sponsored by the USAF Manufacturing Technologies Special Studies Program, usually called ManTech.

The EIP (Enterprise Integration Program), a research and development program composed of several projects, is being carried out in the USA. The Program Manager is the US Air Force and the Prime Contractor is SOFTECH. The EIP has four phases (framework, 18 months; commercialize, 24 months; pilot sites, 14 months; round up, 4 months). EIP considers that there is a global race for the technology to be first to market with the best. The range from the strongest to weakest will be decisive. The best performers will be those who excel at coordination. Specific improvements in process or product yield will only give temporary advantage. The source of a sustainable advantage will be the ability to continually improve.

EIP believes that Enterprise Integration is concerned with getting the right information, parts, processes, people, cash and products to the right places at the right times, and with reacting rapidly to changes in market demand, resources, technology and organization. The EIP seems to be the most important program in the US for the time being in the area of CIM. Close cooperation with the European AMICE Consortium (CIMOSA project) has been established in order to seek the complementary advantage which may exist between EIP and CIMOSA.

It seems that EIP addresses a broader scope than that of CIMOSA. EIP intends to integrate any and all models in an enterprise, all running in a heterogeneous and open environment (See Fig. 4.9). The US had sponsored two studies on an Enterprise Integration Framework (EIF) which focused on the applicability of CIMOSA to the US definition of the EI problem space. Cooperation between AMICE and US would emerge in a more internationally harmonized framework.