ABSTRACT
There are a variety of forces that for a variety of reasons are creating changes in the way manufacturing industries operate. Many of these changes have been underway for over a decade and have little to do with Internet technologies. Other changes are only now beginning to take place and have been inspired or stimulated by Internet technologies. Although these changes are being caused by different sources, combined they are defining the e-factory. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss these key trends, describe how they are affecting the evolution of the e-factory, and highlight how they are important to creating a vision of the e-factory.
