The flexibility and reusability afforded by service-oriented architectures seems to be of singular applicability to the management of virtual enterprises. In this paper we describe the architecture of the SOAVE platform: a Service-Oriented Architecture for Virtual Enterprises. The platform provides the members of a networked community with a set of tools with which they can collaborate on the production of complex products. It allows members to perform enterprise management functions, as well as manufacture enterprise products collaboratively by means of peer-to-peer transactions.