1. A method for use in managing manufacturing of a virtual factory comprising: receiving at a management location, for a plurality of respective particular components, a request over a network for a serial number to be used in identifying the particular component; and for each respective particular component: in response to the request, determining a serial number for the particular component; and for each of a plurality of independent manufacturing entities, independent from each other and the management location, that operate on the particular component, receiving and storing at the management location from the manufacturing entity, over the network, data indicative of a scanned bumpy bar code affixed on the particular component and data indicating a status of manufacture for the particular component, the scanned bumpy bar code signal being indicative of the determined serial number.