Multi-agent systems (MASs) are often used to implement holonic control architectures in manufacturing systems research. The candidate developed a novel holonic control implementation based on the Erlang programming language. A comparison between the Erlang and MAS implementations is facilitated through evaluation criteria, based on quantitative and qualitative performance measures. The evaluation criteria developed in the dissertation provide a base for future research of this kind. The comparison shows that the Erlang implementation exhibits all the required functionality and offers significant advantages. These findings highlight the potential use of Erlang in future Industry 4.0, Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things applications. ​