Taxonomy and uncertainties of cloud manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is currently undergoing rapid changes because of the rapid growth of advanced technologies in information systems and networks, which allow for collaboration around the world. This combination of the latest information technologies and advanced manufacturing networks has led to the growth of a new manufacturing model known as cloud manufacturing. Because cloud manufacturing is considered an emerging research area, there are significant gaps in the literature regarding the concept of cloud manufacturing, its implementation, and in particular the uncertainties coming with this new technology. This research aims to explain the concept of cloud manufacturing, its capabilities and potential. This work also introduces cloud manufacturing taxonomy, and investigates uncertainties that come with employing cloud manufacturing. Finally, proposals for future research in the context of cloud manufacturing are presented to address opportunities in cloud manufacturing.