Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2013
Abstract— Small and Medium Scale Textile Industries are working under intensive market pressure. This pressure forces the textile business to improve their Management Information System (MIS) and reduce expenses (Capex) in IT. IT technology are developing so fast, it is very difficult to keep update with IT by SME. In order to improve their MIS System, new technologies such as cloud computing, mobile computing are suggested. Various factors are discussed which will be considered for taking maximum advantages from latest IT technologies.
Index Terms— Management Information System, Cloud Computing, Mobile Computing.
I. INTRODUCTION
The role of Computers , Internet , Cloud computing and mobile computing are considerable in MIS without these tool no one industry can survive or make relevant strategies in cut thought competition in textile market. In coming future we can’t think about MIS without Cloud computing and mobile computing.
Mobile computing:
Mobile computing is a common term used to refer to a variety of devices that allow people to access data and information from where ever they are.
Cloud computing:
The Data center hardware & software is called a cloud. Web services & applications are hosted on cloud & can be accessed through internet [22].
Cloud computing has been an important computing method to provide computing as the utility (after water, electricity, telephony and gas) to meet the everyday needs of the general business community. Cloud Computing refers to the applications, the hardware and software delivered as services over the Internet [21].
Cloud services:
Clouds are four types which are public, private, community & hybrid. Here we use public or hybrid cloud for information sharing & low cost MIS working. Cloud Computing provides three types of service models such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) & Software as a Service (SaaS)[20].
Cloud computing integrates various latest technology such as data warehousing, mining , knowledge management, decision support system, mobile computing, wireless technology, 4G services, high performance computing, Industrial Robots, Automated Machine , remote sensing, satellite technology , Web base geographic information
system(GIS), Model-base management system, Spatial database management system. This system provides information about production field’s data which helps in decision making. This system has alert system for any abnormal situation. This system provide Industrial expert to textile supervisor for advice through video conferencing on demand basis. This system increases the profitability of the textile business & SME by reducing the cost of production. In the MIS cloud computing provides following universal vales.
1 Initial cost reduction in IT (reducing capex). 2 Resources are available on demand on rent.
3 Up gradation & Maintenance, Scalability are easy on cloud.
4 Rapid development & integration with other services on cloud are easy.
5 Best practices are applied in textile scenario. Factors affecting Implementation of MIS on Cloud:
(1)Management decision making (2)Service Level Agreement (3)User training
(4)Change management (5)Team work
Investment in IT infrastructure is at least 5-10% of the total investments but it need regular updating that time it’s very difficult to keep pace with latest technology. In this paper we are suggesting cloud based technology for MIS and its IT infrastructure which requires less investment in capex (no need to purchase latest servers and hardware all facility are available on rental basis which are easily scalable and global)
Management information systems is important in the textile business environments, where right management decisions and strategically important choices require a lot of information collection & information mix from different sources. The challenges of information management in the textile business area can generally be classified into two main categories such as:
A) Strategic value management B) Operational value management
The strategic value management challenges are related to handle long term textile business environment and changes within it. The investment costs of the textile plants are relativity high. Based on the case company’s estimation, the average investment costs in Bhilwara textile environment for a conventional single plant is approximately 30 Crore. The life cycle of the textile plant is 20-30 years from the point of investment. The textile plants that are controlled by
Design of Cloud Computing Based MIS Model
for Textile Industries
Raj Kumar Somani
1, Dr. Reena Dadhich
2Research Scholar MJRP University, Jaipur, Professor & Head, Deptt. Of Computer Sc., University of
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2013 computer-based systems that have shorter life cycle than most
of the ordinary ones. The computer-based textile plant systems are linked to the MIS as a source of data. For cost reasons, the system updates are done mostly in 3-5 year cycles.
These investment decisions for textile business are done by assessing the financial risk, strategic choices and long term textile business visions. These business visions include e.g. longer term support to defining the market share & profitability. The shorter term business visions can be defined as the operational management decisions, organizational performance & expansion of textile markets.
These two different objectives create fundamental area of challenge for MIS requirements. This study presents a case-based research with the view to elaborate how these challenges are approached and managed in today’s real-life textile business environment. The focus of this study is to obtain valuable knowledge in MIS and to reflect its empirical implementation in the area of textile business using cloud computing.
II. METHODOLOGY
This study is focused on single case company’s implementation project. Empirical aspects are highlighted and the implementation was done in the business environment of textile markets in Bhilwara.
The main research related to this case study was conducted by interviewing the case company’s Chairman, Managing Director, Board of Directors, Strategic board members, & experts behind the technical solutions. During this study, the case company’s existing documentation was inspected from earlier versions to the recent implemented solution. This was done with the objective to gaining better background knowledge and technical platforms as necessary for implementing MIS variables by cloud computing.
The inspection concerning the practical implementations of MIS was done through interviewing the concerning parties, responsible for running the case company’s textile business. Results were formed through analysis and synthesis. Future considerations were approached by interviewing the management, implementation group and several technical experts working in the textile area.
III. LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Defining MIS –The term Management Information Systems was introduced in the year 1968 by Farhoomand [1]. The main purpose was to replace the term Information Technology [2].
After introducing the term Management Information System in 1968, science society has tried to find better and exact definitions to field of information technology that it can be classified more exactly from other areas [3, 4, 5]. Topic decision support system versus management information systems was more clearly presented by an ACM SIGBDP Conference in January 1977 [6].
Year 1984 Davis & Ohlson [7] addressed that management
information system is an integrated “user-machine” system, which offers information in organization to support processes, managements, analyzes and decision supports in the business environment. The system takes advantages and uses from different technologies such as:
Computer hardware, Software and applications Manual procedures Design
Databases
Here we are adding following in above technologies Internet, Web Technologies
Sensor, PDA & IPhone Cloud Computing Mobile Computing [23].
An abstract of the management information system is not possible to implement totally without computer. The performance offered by the computer and data communication system gives management information systems more advantages that can be used to justify its importance [7].
Management information systems are only computer based systems which performs middle management’s control and decision making by offering routine reports from operation level actions performed and deviations to production plan given by Laudon in 2000 [8]. Laudon K.C. et al. have wider the definition later in year 2010 “The study of information systems focusing on their use in business and management” [9].
Modern perspective of MIS:
The information position against organization in 1995 Roger Clarke [10] presented a model that maps the information categories against the organization. Various categories of information system can be distinguished according to Clarke. The Clarke’s diagram maps them against conventional hierarchical structure of an organization.
Management information systems continue development and present definitions are wide and open. In the present scenario the term is commonly used larger meaning as information systems, managing on their use in business and management [9]. The MIS solutions include all the area of decision support systems to information systems that are linked to business and organization [23].
Fig 1. Modified Roger Clarke’s diagram [9]. Figure 1 shows the Modified Roger Clarke’s diagram and Information system against the conventional structure of an
Structure of Organization
Operation personal Operative Supervisory personal Supervision Middle Management Control Executive Management Planning
Data Processing Systems Role of DSS Information System Data Reductio n Reporting
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2013 organization [10].
MIS in textile companies
In the textile field, a Textile Management System (TMS) is having some of the features needed in the textile business companies’ management information systems [11].
TMS’s are considered as the data collection and forecasting systems, which can perform several calculation and reporting tasks. The TMS system can perform data exchange between one system to other system using several protocols [11]. Presently Business intelligence (BI) solutions are commonly working also in the context of MIS in the textile area.
IV. CASE COMPANY’S PROFILE
The study as conducted within the case company represents a medium size textile business actor within Indian countries that has a market-driven business area; covering textile yarn production, and Garments manufacturing. The case company’s annual turnover is Rs 1171cror. The case company’s textile business area manages textile business through versatile textile portfolio. This includes several different types of textile plants and textile productions in the forms of Ring frames, Sulzar and Simmco looms in textile production.
The case company also controls various sub type of textile plants, having different features e.g. from viscous to final cloths production etc. These textile business people sell the yarns or gray cloth or finished cloth or garments to the markets. Internally, this business actor’s textile business model processes are integrated to the business holders of other business process, e.g. into the ready made garments in the automation system level.
V. CASE COMPANY’S MIS SOLUTION A. Defining the management requirements and approach to MIS Case Company’s background approach for MIS solution lies in the definition of some specific areas of the Contingency theory and MIS variables. The flowchart below presents a theoretical representation of Contingency theory of MIS, which was introduced in early 80’s by Weills [12].
Fig 2. Weill’s contingency theory of MIS [12]. From study the case company did not use contingency theory fully as presented. Instead of trying to solve the theoretical problems of organization sciences, just defining the affective MIS variables were seen as more realistic. The most simplified model was used.
Case Company’s chosen MIS variables
Case company focused to reach primary information to gain management performance using simplified MIS variables.
The fundamentals of chosen MIS variables are shown in Figure 3. Those variables can be briefly elaborated as follows: Yarn prices in textile market are the most highly affecting individual factor that defines the productivity and profitability of the case company’s textile business area.
IT infrastructure & software (ERP) update , training and learning cost.
Textile plant raw materials procurement costs and timing of purchasing the raw material .Viscous and other polestars, cotton and yarns market prices are constantly changing and timing the purchases and optimizing the size of the raw material reserve has great effects in cost structures.
Textile market function efficiency set’s competitive position against the other textile producers. Ability to forecast future consumption and offer right amount of textile quality in right time to the textile market is an optimizing component that highly effects to the profit gained. This gives an advantage in the situation, where market prices are suitable for competition of similar type textile plants and are using same raw materials.
Production unit’s investments costs and secondary financial components related to that. Average textile plant is 30 crore investments and pay back times are usually 20-30 years, depending on the type of textile plants. Business owners normally finance the big investment through bank loans. Loan shortenings, interest rates and profit pay backs timings to the owners are strategically important in long term profitability.
Production unit’s maintenance and updating costs are higher, which also depend on the life cycle of production unit. Average textile plant can service about 30 years. During its active use several maintenance and systems updates are performed to achieve an optimal productivity versus costs. Optimizing normal maintenance is important from both textile market functioning and operational productivity point of view.
Fig 3. Case company’s selected MIS variable
Contingency Variable MIS Variable MIS Performance Organizational Performance Strategy Structure, Size Environment Technology Individual Task Management Implementation Structure Development Satisfaction Success Effectiveness Innovativeness Financial Volume
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2013 Human resources costs and optimizing: The human
resources used in textile plants could be the business owners own personnel or outsourced. This can be applied into various areas, like operational, maintenance and office personnel. But from management point of view handling human recourses and costs in optimal way must be handled in both situations.
Taxation and other regulative cost components: Various taxations and other regulative cost component are addressed to textile production. When combined together, these form a significant additional cost component that may affect to business owner’s competitive and strategic position. Taxation and pollution are focused differently to different type of textile plants. Optimal handling of this component is important.
Other fixed cost: This group of cost consists of various general cost like office, basic infrastructure and communications, education and learning, etc.
Defining management needs and approach to MIS The case company has large number of different existing systems and the management has a clear knowledge vision, where the data is available and how it could have been modified more informative form. The case company started a separate analyzing project, where the exact management requirements were defined and information sources were recognized. Figure 4 describes the case company’s systems.
Fig 4. Various System of the case company
The case company’s existing internal system infrastructure The case company has various existing internal systems which can be described as follows:
Textile plant automation systems are using computer technology & engineering to help in running the textile production process, having automated functions efficiently and safely. The functionality is programmed to control system as binary code. Operator uses predefined commands for controlling processes. Textile plant automation systems provide several reports and data communication interfaces [13].
Computerized Maintenance System (CMS): consists of hardware solution and a software package that allows an organization to manage the maintenance of equipment and facilities. Use of a CMS improves productivity, lower operating costs, and store important information about
maintenance functions in the organization [14].
Human Resource Information System : is a software or online solution for managing human resources. It includes functions like personnel data entry, and tracking, basic data information of the personnel, links or possible integrated functions to accounting system functions [15].
Finance and accounting system: keeps record of the financial actions and account transactions [16]. In the textile plant environments, it is logically linked to human resources and maintenance systems. The link may be handled manually or automatically. Accounting and financial systems also are having link to the banking systems too.
Textile Management System (TMS): The TMS can be considered as data collection and forecasting systems, which perform several calculations and reporting tasks [11]. It is used to monitor, control, and optimize the performance of the textile production, processing and distribution system. TMS is focusing to optimize the textile production function [11]. Within the influence of Bhilwara textile market, TMS is crucial role in daily textile production and trade actions.
VI. TECHNICAL SOLUTION
Case company’s implementation project chose data warehouse (DWH) as a technical solution to collect and combine the MIS information sources.
Fig 5. Layered architecture MIS model on the Cloud A. Brief Introduction to data warehouses in textile sector
A data warehouse is used to extract forecast, current and historical data from business holder’s operational information Systems. Data warehouse advantage is that it can store and add external data to data exported from inside organization without disturbing to the functioning of internal business systems. [17]
In data warehouse, the data is combined with data from external sources is reorganized and possibly modified to supporting the management reporting needs. Data warehouse enables own specially designed database to management reporting needs. This database is fully designed or management reporting, possibly further data modification and decision supporting analysis.
B. Case Company’s implemented MIS and data warehouse solution
Figure 6 represents the basic architecture of the case company’s implemented data warehouse and system links.
SaaS layer
Management Information System, Textile Management System, HR Information System, Finance, Tax & Insurance, Purchase & Inventory, Help desk, CRM, SCM, Maintenance etc. Data Warehouse & Mining, Knowledge Mgt & DSS ,GPS data processing, Textile processing, Image processing, Billing, Authentication , Sensor control etc
PaaS layer New layer
Database management system, Development Environment, Operational support etc
IaaS layer Server, Storage, Network, Operating System,
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2013 The MIS is basically a reporting system that uses optimized
queries to combine the information from various sources. The reporting system is able perform basic calculations. The case company used their Oracle database as a platform to the data warehouse database.
The selected product for the case was IBM’s Cognos 8 BI combined to data warehouse. Cognos is IBM's business intelligence and performance management software suite [18]. The product is focusing to analyze and reporting and its design goal has been to design the system easy to use. This aims to use that support business users without large amount of technical knowledge.
Cognos is a collection of tens of software products. Cognos architecture is based on open standards. The software products can be used with various database suppliers product. This includes multidimensional data sources and relational databases. [18]
Fig 6. Case company’s MIS architecture with DWH MIS reports publication channel
Secure web based hybrid cloud was chosen as publication channel to the MIS reports. Web-based hybrid cloud is used for web-based solution that enables accessing to the corporate internal network from internet.
The chosen hybrid cloud can be accessed from anywhere in the world. It is an easy to use file or solution which can be called between authenticated user groups. Cloud allows case company to distribute information quickly and easily. Users can send and access files with an internet browser through a secure connection. User groups can be freely modified to fit the case company’s needs
Fig 7. Case company’s MIS model on cloud
VII. DISCUSSION
The studied case company represents a textile business actor, having various textile plants and functioning in Indian textile market. The MIS implemented has great advantages, especially, in the improved management information accuracy and delivery time. The similar system and information flow is impossible to achieve fully manual working. Implemented solution addresses solution to set systems challenges and supports both:
A) Strategic value management B) Operational value management [22].
The implemented MIS adds value to strategic management by storing long term trends without the limitations of the source systems and performs automatically reports to fulfill the strategic management needs. It also adds value to operational management by giving more up to date and real time information from the daily business process.
VIII. STUDY LIMITATIONS
The study examines MIS, specifically from case company’s implementation projects and fundamentals that are affected to develop individual MIS. Similar to formal case study research, technical solutions of the presented case company may not be technically fully repeatable in other environments. Keeping in mind, more studies on various case companies might be helpful to generalize this research approach.
Other limitations of this study were to hide the name and specifications of the case company’s data and information due to violation of confidentiality also restricts this study approach. Depth presentation of the exact calculations or detailed logic behind valuating the MIS factors may violate the case company’s business secrets, which was also avoided.
IX. CONCLUSION
The implemented management information system is useful and functional solution in case company’s environment. The added value given by the MIS is highly dependable on the following factors:
How well the MIS factors are defined and what is logic behind set value to them?
How well the actual reports produced to management can support the real and constantly changing business problems in longer run?
The main added value from the implementation of MIS seems to be achieved mainly by innovative ideas and as how to combine information as a management tools instead of approaching the challenges through developing the complex and high end technical solution. The MIS implemented by using existing commercial data warehouse on cloud and reporting products seems more cost efficient than specially programmed solution in this case.
X. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
It is clear that the role of the MIS is increasing in the textile business area. This is influenced not only better interconnecting and data exchange interfaces of the several
MIS As a Service Using Hybrid Cloud Web User Web User Web User Encrypted Connection Company Internal System Company Internal System Company Internal System
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2013 system, but also more common use of cloud based enterprise
architectures in textile companies.
More and wider set of data communication methods in systems enable faster and cost effective and efficient MIS implementations. It is likely that in future the need for case by case specially programmed data import modules will be reducing when products data exchange methods will become more standardized or open source software are used. In order to improve their MIS System, new technologies such as cloud computing, mobile computing are used. Various factors are discussed which will be considered for taking maximum advantages from latest IT technologies.
Future research can be extended to compare this implementation case to other cases, and also perform a comparative study among geographically distributed textile companies. Based on the presented implementation case, the textile market seems to have significant impact to the cloud based business model. This would be useful to study separately.
REFERENCES
[1] A. Farhoomand, “Scientific Progress of Management Information Systems”, Journal: Information Systems Research: Issues, Methods and Practical Guidelines. Galliers R. 1994. [2] J. Aron, “Information Systems in Perspective”, ACM
Computing Surveys, vol. 1, no. 4, Dec. 1969.
[3] J. Pearson., and J. Shim., “An Empirical Investigation into DSS Structures and Environments”, Decision Support Systems, vol. 13, no. 2, Feb. 1995.
[4] B. Gordon, and Davis, “Encyclopedia of Computer Science”, John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Chichester, UK 2003.
[5] A. Farhoomand, “Scientific Progress of Management Information Systems”, and Journal: Database archive, Online Inc. Wilton, CT, USA, vol.18, no. 4, summer 1987.
[6] D.J. Power,”A Brief History of Decision Support Systems”, DSSResources.COM, World Wide Web, 2.8, May 31, 2003. [7] G. Davis, and M. Olson, Management Information Systems:
Conceptual Foundations, Structure and Development. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition, 1984.
[8] K.C. Laudon, and, J.P. Laudon, Management Information Systems: Organization and Technology in the Networked Enterprise, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 6th edition, 2000. [9] K.C Laudon, J.P Laudon, Management information systems:
managing the digital firm, Pearson, 11th edition, 2010 . [10]Roger Clarke, Information systems, The Scope of the Domain.
Version of 5 March 1995. Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 1990. [11]Juha P. Lahti, Ahm Shamsuzzoha, Petri Helo, Asis Unyapoth,
Taminee Shinasharkey, "An overview of external data communications in Finnish power and textile management systems", Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Communications and Networking Application, IEEE, Indonesia, vol. 3, p 95-98, April 2011.
[12]P. Weill; Marorethe H. Olson, “An Assessment of the Contingency Theory of Management Information Systems”,
Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 6, no 1, Summer 1989.
[13]W. S. Levine, Control system fundamentals, CRC Press, 2000. [14]Amik Garg, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering,
Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12, no. 3, 2006. [15]Michael J. Kavanagh, Mohan Thite, Human Resource
Information Systems: Basics, Applications, and Future Directions, Sage, 2008.
[16]H. G. Heymann, Robert Bloom, Decision support systems in finance and accounting, Quorum Books, 1988.
[17]Vidette Poe, Stephen Brobst, Patricia Klauer, Building a Data Warehouse for Decision Support, 2nd version, Prentice-Hall, 1997.
[18]IBM Corporation, Cognos 8, product information, web pages. Available:http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/prod ucts/cognos-8-business-intelligence.
[19]Data care, product information, RemoteSec – Technical description v 4.0, EGF Finland, 2010.
[20]Wang Zhouxiu et al., “A designing and research of future classroom learning support system based on cloud computing technology”, Third International Conference on Intelligent System Design and Engineering Applications, IEEE 2013. [21]Victor Chang, Robert John Walters, Gary Wills, “The
development that leads to the Cloud Computing Business Framework”, IEEE 2013.
[22]RajKumar Buyya, Christian Vecchiola, Selvi, “Mastering cloud computing”, McGraw hill education pvt. Ltd. pp 114-120, 2013.
[23]R.K.Somani, Anukriti, “Management Information System”, C.B.C., pp 2-40, 2010.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Raj Kumar Somani is Research Scholar in MJRP University, Jaipur and currently pursing Ph.D. He received the B.E. from Rajasthan University, Jaipur in 1992 and M.E. in 2007. His area of current interest includes Cloud Computing, ERP System, and Software Project Management etc.
Dr. Reena Dadhich is Professor and Head, Deptt. Of Computer Sc. and Informatics, University of Kota, Kota (Raj.). Her area of interest are Wireless ad-hoc Networks, System Testing, Cloud Computing etc.
