Web-based manufacturing technology for overseas small companies

¶ … INTERNET-BASED MANUFACTURING SYSTEM.

Design internet-based manufacturing system for the oversea small manufacturing companies

Global competitions and rapid changes in the customers' requirements are forcing the manufacturing companies to adopt the Information Technology (IT) for the production and the configuration of manufacturing process. With the increase in demand for more specialized products, the traditional mode of production is no more capable to meet the customers' requirements. In the present competitive market environment, more customers are increasingly demanding for custom designed products within the short time. Recently, there have been rapid changes in the manufacturing paradigms where many manufacturing companies have started to adopt new enterprises strategy to remain competitive in the present international volatile markets. To be competitive in the present volatile markets, some organizations have started to adopt the concepts such as virtual enterprises, agile manufacturing etc. (Tian, Yin, & Taylor 2001). Virtual enterprises have become the most advanced and efficient form of enterprises where organizations make use of Web to transact business and share information and data. With rapid advancement in the Information Communication Technology (ICT), Web-based manufacturing has become the latest technology that manufacturing organizations employ for business process. (Tian, Yin, & Taylor 2001).

Despite the importance of Web-based manufacturing system for the enhancement of the organizational efficiencies, many small foreign-based manufacturing companies have not yet integrated Web-based manufacturing system in their manufacturing platform (Hamill, 1997). Evidently, many small foreign-based manufacturing companies still use the email as a method of communication. Many small business owners have not yet integrated web application in their manufacturing process. Lack of awareness on the importance of web-based technology for the enhancement of business operations for the offshore small manufacturing companies generates research problem that the proposal attempts to address.

Statement of Problem

Choosing the right technology to design the web-based manufacturing system has become problem for many small business organizations. The key issue has been to design a system that would enhance the product development and information sharing without jeopardizing the security system of an organization. Many technologies have been employed to design web-based technology for businesses. The technologies such as Extensible Mark-up Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Cloud computing, Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), NET etc. have been employed to design web-based manufacturing system. Inability to identify the best and the cost effective design technology for the overseas small manufacturing companies generates research problem that the study attempts to address. The proposal will collect data to identify the best and the cost effective web-based technology for the overseas small manufacturing companies.

The proposal formulates research objective to enhance greater understanding on the importance of web-based manufacturing system for overseas small manufacturing companies.

Research Objectives

To design Web-based technology for the small overseas manufacturing companies.

To explore the importance of web-based technology for the overseas small manufacturing companies.

Research Questions

To what extent overseas small manufacturing companies embrace web-technology for business process?

What is the importance of web-based technology for the overseas small manufacturing companies?

What is the best web-based technology suitable for the overseas small manufacturing companies?

To answer the research questions, the proposal will collect primary and secondary data through research methodology. The review of the literatures is very important to enhance greater understanding on the importance of web technology for the overseas small manufacturing companies.

Literatures Review

Previous studies are reviewed to discuss the Web-based technology, and its importance for the overseas small manufacturing companies. The literatures are also reviewed to discuss various technologies to design Web-based technology for the small manufacturing companies.

Web-based technology and its importance to the small manufacturing companies.

Web-based manufacturing system is a form of remote manufacturing system where manufacturing organizations process and distribute information using web technology. Typically, Web has become a tremendous potential for the global manufacturing organizations to share high profile information. (Tian, Yin, & Taylor 2001). Yang and Xue (2003) reveal that advent of World Wide Web has led to the distribution of information to any location where users have been able to share information through the Web tools. Advent of Web technology has created dynamic advantages for the manufacturing companies to develop activities such as marketing, process planning, design, production and customer service. Yang et al. (2003) argue that the integration of web-based technology for business operations enhance product quality and reduce the product development lead-time. The major advantage of Web technologies is that it has been able to combine different functions such as multimedia, distributed computing and computer network. Unlike traditional network such as Local Area Network (LAN), Web-based technology is able to link client computers anywhere in the world, and transfer multimedia information such as video clips, sound clips and text message.

Similarly, Moen (2004) claims that Information Technology (IT) has become a dynamic tool that a small corporation uses to internationalized their business. Since many small businesses have limited resources, the only solution is to employ web technology as the gateway to internationalize their business operations. With the advent of Web technologies, small manufacturing companies have the advantages to implement electronic data transfer, and information sharing across the globe.

Although, the authors have been able to reveal the importance of web-based technologies to the manufacturing companies, however they have not been able to identify the best web technology that could enhanced the business operations of the offshore manufacturing company.

Web-based Technologies

Review of the literatures has revealed that many overseas manufacturing companies do not have resources to develop high cost Web-based manufacturing system. To address this problem, this section reviews the literatures to identify different types of the method to develop Web-based system for the overseas small manufacturing companies. Extensive review of the literatures will assist the proposal to identify the IT tool that is cost effective for small business.

Vartiainen, et al. (2010) claims that Cloud computing is the technology that could enhance sharing of data and information over the internet. The Cloud computing allows easy flow of information using many devices to interact on the daily basis. Typically, Cloud computing allows the mobile interactive application where users have the advantages to send real time data to any location at any time. One of the important features of Cloud computing is that the users are allowed to send mobile message and access the real time date at any location.

Dai (2009) also agrees that Cloud computing has ability to deliver service anywhere anytime. One of the main advantages of Cloud computing is that it is able to deliver application according to the specialized process. With Cloud computing, small business could process user's requirements using wireless internet technology.

"One of the big advantages of cloud computing is that small businesses can access best of breed of software infrastructure and resources without making upfront investment. Particularly, (as illustrated in figure 1), SME staff can access the required software services and support using conventional devices and equipments such as a mobile phone or a PC regardless of time, place, communication protocols or standards imposed, therefore allowing SME staff focusing on core business activities such as sales, ordering etc. (Dai 2009, pp 55-56.)."

Fig 1: Benefit of Cloud Computing

Source: Dai (2009).

Despite the benefits of Cloud computing, the technical constraint surrounding it could serve as barrier for small businesses.

However, Yang and Xue (2003) suggest XML for the development of Web-based manufacturing system. The author argues that XML could be used to model the production database for small manufacturing company. Contrarily, Phaithoonbuathong et al. (2010) claim that Service-Orientated Architecture (SOA) is a web-service paradigm that is cost-effective in the data transfer among organizations. SOA-based applications are predominantly developed using web component and has ability to assist firms in implementing standard and information and communication infrastructures. With SOA paradigms, manufacturing companies will have the opportunities to integrate Web Services for the interconnection of smart embedded devices and reconfiguration of manufacturing systems. Typically, SOA employs service-orientation principle to address business problems. As being revealed in Fig 2, SOA employs Web-based automation system that improves business functionality. With advantages identified in SOA for the development of Web, the study proposes SOA for the development of Web-based manufacturing systems for the overseas small manufacturing companies.

FIG 2: SOA Device and Application

Source: Phaithoonbuathong et al. (2010).

The proposal will collect primary data to validate the secondary data. Research methodology discusses the method of data collection for the development of web-based system for the overseas small manufacturing companies.

Research Methodology

Research methodology reveals the method of data collection, and research design reveals the logical method to complete the project. Research methodology also identifies the sample population and data analysis.

Research Design

The study will employ qualitative technique as a method of data collection. The proposal will collect primary data from the sample population. To enhance the integrity of data, the proposal will employ data analysis for both primary and secondary data.

Method of Data Collection

The proposal will use both primary and secondary data to prepare the project. The secondary data will be collected from the electronic academic database. Essentially, the researcher will focus on the electronic databases such as Science Direct, ACM digital library, EBSCOhost, JSTOR, IEEE Xplore, and SpringerLink. These academic databases contain scholarly journals and research articles. In addition, the proposal will collect secondary data from the university library and other printed academic books. The major advantage of using electronic databases is that they contain several research articles and academic journals. Accessing database is also cost effective and they are easily accessible. (Trochims & Donnelly, 2007).

To access secondary data, the researchers will review several academic journals, research articles, printed academic books and academic reports. The proposal will use qualitative technique as a method of data collection. The primary data will be collected using semi-structured interview. The findings of the primary and secondary data will assist the researcher to achieve research objective and answer research questions.

Sample Population

Sample population will consist of the executive of small companies, IT developers, IT administrators, and small business owners. The major objectives of collecting data from the identified sample population are to determine the effectiveness of Web-based technology for the overseas small manufacturing companies. The data will also be collected to determine the Web-based methodology that will be suitable for the overseas small manufacturing companies.

Ethical Approach

The researcher will adhere to the university ethical policy by not revealing the identities of the interviewees. All data collected during the interview will be used for the research purpose only, and the information of the interviewees such as addresses, names, emails, telephone numbers, etc. will not be revealed to the third party but for the sole use of proposal.

Research Time-Table

The proposal will take approximately 10 months. The Table 1 reveals the research time table.

Table 1: Research Time -Table

CHAPTERS

SECTIONS

DATES

Chapter 1

Introduction

30 Septembre 2011

Research Objectives

15 November 2011

Statement of Problems

30 November 2011

Research Questions

15 December 2011

Chapter 2

Literatures Review

1 January 2011

Chapter 3

Research Methodology

2 March 2011

Chapter 4

Data Analysis

3 April 2011

Chapter 5

Findings

5 May 2011

Chapter 6

Research Contribution

4 June 2011

Chapter 7

5 July 2011