The factory of the future can be characterized by greater global competition, higher product variety and lower product volume. Higher product variety, faster product development and shorter product life cycle complicate the demand forecasts and subsequent manufacturing processes. Product cost and product quality have been classically considered as the main objectives for obtaining competitive advantages of a manufacturing system. Currently, merely assuring low cost and high quality of products is insufficient for obtaining competitive advantages of a firm. New requirements such as product customization and production responsiveness should be taken into account for the survival in the competitive environment and the growth in the market share.