Research Proposal on the Impact of IoT and System Integration

This document presents a research proposal investigating the influence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and system integration on business operations. It outlines the research's aims and objectives, including understanding the relevance of system integration with IoT, analyzing challenges faced by IT managers during integration, and exploring the coordination between enterprise systems and IoT. The proposal includes a literature review covering enterprise system integration, the concept of IoT in business, and the impact of these technologies on the environment. It details the research methodology, specifying the research question, type, design, approaches, strategy, and data collection methods. The proposal concludes with a timeline and expected outcomes, aiming to provide recommendations for effective IoT and system integration in business.

Influence of Internet of Things and
system integration in business

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................1
Research Outline..........................................................................................................................1
Research aims and objectives......................................................................................................1
Research problem........................................................................................................................2
Research structure........................................................................................................................2
2 Literature review...........................................................................................................................3
About enterprise system integration............................................................................................3
Concept of Internet of things used in business............................................................................3
System integration and Internet of things within the business activities and operations............5
Influence of internet of things and system integration with environment...................................6
3. Research methodology.................................................................................................................8
Research Question.......................................................................................................................8
Research type...............................................................................................................................8
Research design...........................................................................................................................8
Research approaches....................................................................................................................9
Research strategy.........................................................................................................................9
Data collection methods............................................................................................................10
4. Conclusion and recommendations.............................................................................................11
5. Timescale...................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

1. INTRODUCTION
Research Outline
This chapter will provide details of the basic concept of the chosen topic of investigation along
with its importance. This topic has been chosen to understand the relevance of system integration
with Internet of Things so that one can actively exist in today’s technological and competitive
environment. This chapter will provide the insight of problem of research, research question and
the format of research paper.
Small scale companies use integration of systems with IoT to get the knowledge required, reduce
the repetition of data and increase the efficiency of manpower. This system is used to ensure that
the cost involved in the technology is less and real time information is accumulated through the
IoT. Integration of system will also provides assistance in teamwork, a good interaction with the
market, and also helps in improving the work quality with the efficiency in production and
amalgamation Botta et.al (2016). It is further divided into three different types namely enterprise
resource planning, enterprise planning system and customer relationship management software.
Other two enterprise software packages are data warehousing and business intelligence. These
are sold by ES vendor and also help in implementation of IoT. These two does not become part
of enterprise system due to this. Enterprise systems are based on two software systems namely
SAP’s Net weaver and database and Oracle’s fusion Whitmore et.al (2015).
Research aims and objectives
Aim of research
The main motive behind conducting this research is to satisfy the aim of this study. The main
aim of this study is the knowledge of enterprise systems integration with internet of things.
Objective of research
The basic objectives behind conducting this research are-
 To understand the relevance of integration of system with Internet of things within the
activities of the companies.
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 To analyse about the problems faced by the IT managers while integration of systems in
the company.
 To know about the coordination of enterprise systems and internet of things.
 To provide the suggestions regarding integration of system with Internet of Things in
business operations.
Research problem
Every organization has some issues relating to management of resources and also analysis of
data collected. To resolve these issues, company has to pay attention to use of enterprise system
along with IoT to successfully utilise these resources through ERP and also accumulate real time
data. When both of them will be utilised together then it will result in innovation of new
techniques to be applied in business which may relate with machinery or any other physical
equipment.
Research structure
The research that is conducted will focus on following aspects-
Introduction This part of the research involves the description of
the topic and description of research problem and
questions of the study.
Literature review This part of the report provides the basis of any
approach used to achieve the objective of the
report.
Research methodology This part of research takes into account the
methods used to solve the main problems of the
research.
Conclusion This part of the research concludes the whole
investigation and provides some suitable
recommendations and suggestions for the same.
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2 Literature review
About enterprise system integration
As per Da et.al (2014), enterprise systems involve various procedures, methods and tools. This
system says that the company should consider all those procedures that include sales, deliveries,
bills receivables, transferring the information from one level of management to another or
amongst different business functions. The study that is undertaken shows that the integration of
enterprise system means the collaboration of various systems into one wherein they interact with
each other and utilises the information which is many times useful for the business in carrying on
its activities. Like, ERP helps a company in the whole process of sales including sales order,
purchasing inventory, deliveries, billing and payment from debtors. According to (Bi et.al
(2014), enterprise systems used by the companies are enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply
chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM). These can be
implemented with the help of IoT.
Integration of systems within business will help to improve the customer relationship
management to improve the efficiency of sales department and focus on making good
relationship with customers to increase the sales. The main feature of CRM is to coordinate the
different systems and access them through any IoT device. Botta et.al (2014) says that system
integration helps in updating the staff and comparing the data irrespective of the system it is part
of and also it has approach to the place of the site of client. SCM comprises product related
factors like development of product, material sourcing, production, logistics and information
programs which help in integrating these activities. ERP carry out operational activities and
manages the resources. It is helpful for many companies that are indulges in retail sector,
banking sector, oil and gas factory.
Concept of Internet of things used in business
Internet of things is the arrangement of physical tools, vehicles and other items used with
electronics, software, sensors, network connections etc. which help in collecting and sharing
data. IoT is required to have a connection with various tools, facilities, vehicles which are above
different applications, domains, etc. these tools collect the real time data with the help of various
technologies and then the information flows between the two devices. As per Al-Fuqaha et.al
(2015), IoT are the innovative and smart devices that are used today. For example apple watches,
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Fitbit etc. These are used for collection of data for the analysis of business data and preventive
maintenance.
A research was conducted by Drucker, which showed 20.8 billion devices on IoT till 2020 and
more than 30 million devices would connect IoT wirelessly by 2020. IoT is applied in many
things like media, infrastructure management, environmental monitoring and manufacturing,
agriculture, health and medical care. IoT helps in interacting with things and allows complicated
programs like distributed calculations and creating distributed calculations. At present, IoT
software emphasizes on real time data logging answers, provide dependency to work with
various other aspects. According to Lee and Lee, (2015) future developments refer to
development of any particular environment so that the software can be developed as per the
hardware. Companies are focusing on developing new platform for technology to offer special
functionality for the IoT. Even more platforms are being introduced to add extra intelligence.
The adoption of IoT also involves problems like complexity, privacy concerns, security problems
and old governance forms.
Internet of things is a newly developed technology. Through this the objects have intelligent
behaviour by understanding themselves. This is done by enabling or making related decisions to
the point that they convey the data about themselves. They have the power to approach to that
information which has been accumulated by other things. Also they can add it with other services
reviews relating to IoT. Borgia, (2014) illustrate that these networks help to communicate
anything to anyone while sitting at a particular place. This can enable to launch the services like
smart vehicle or smart home that may provide services like communication, entertainment,
security, energy saving etc.
This study is helpful in understanding that IoT brings efficiency within the organization but its
solutions are complex and not specific for the final users. Therefore the organizations must
understand the worth of IoT relating to its capture. The nature of IoT is analytical which makes it
typical and this is a major drawback Khodadadi et.al. (2015). Also concern is shown towards
safety and security issues. The manufacturers emphasize on profits rather than security. Such
consumers are required for this purpose who have control over accumulated data and also which
includes the option of deletion. Also if we talk on larger scale consumers does not adopt IoT
willingly.
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System integration and Internet of things within the business activities and operations
System integration and IoT has enabled the additional developments in embedded systems,
communication technologies, internet protocols and smart sensors. Its main emphasis is to have
smart sensors that can help in providing new direction to the enterprise. Recent developments in
technology which is device to device, machine to machine and mobile technologies are all the
part of initial stage of IoT. It has been predicted that Integration of system with IoT will fill the
gap existing between diverse technologies to create connections between applications and
devices to help the businesses in making intelligent decisions. According to Goldfarb et.al
(2015), System integration helps improving business operations and helping in wireless
communication to have developed systems for industries as well as enterprise. Today decision
making in business is more complex and time consuming IoT helps in lowering down this
burden. A complex system is one that has many variables and the decision making in that case
need real data to be collected through systems, processes, enterprise systems.
System integration helps in accumulation of information, conveying what is understood and
assisting in decision making process. Therefore this study shows that IT infrastructure for
collection of data and the needs of enterprise integration for the changing demands of the world.
After understanding the efficiency of the enterprise system, it allows new business models and
coordinates the activities with the digital resources available. As per He and Da Xu, (2014)Large
data technology and cloud helps enterprise systems along with some extra knowledge and
scalability. This study involves detailed understanding of the area which further results in faster
and reliable decisions. This is again helpful in meeting the demands of the customers
successfully.
IoT is the development in technology which supports physical things with fixed computing
devices to indulge in operations of company to reduce the manual activities and improving
efficiency. Some examples in used of technology are useful internationally. Large organizations
take the help of these studies including connected cars, remote assets and other resource
management, energy management, smart metering, smart warehousing, connected health care
solutions and retail management. As per Bassin et.al (2014) Integration of system coordinate
with ERP and business intelligence system help by providing the information that is helpful in
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effective decision making to be done by implementers and is started as a part of IoT strategy
together with enterprise application integration projects.
Generally, IoT and integration of different system are used by the companies to lower down their
costs. Like, if a company wants to reduce the consumption of energy or reduce the chance of
theft or risk of failure of machinery of factory it can be utilised without limits. Many
organizations use technology to construct new services. Many construction related organizations
use it manage the safety and security measures and to reduce the injuries and accidents that may
happen at factory sites Hedman and Sarker, (2015). In this way system integration plays an
important role in enterprise systems with proper integration, as it stands as a link between assets
and infrastructural facilities. It manages the usefulness of SCM and planning of resource.
Companies get good return from investment through asset tracking, remote monitoring etc.
System integration will help in automating variety of things. For example, in any organizations
meeting lights and AC turns on automatically when they sense the individuals entering the room.
The ability of the company to track the data and then applying that to automate these minute
activities that take a long time at any work place can result in improved efficiency in business
operations.
Influence of internet of things and system integration with environment
Various applications of Internet of things along with integration of the system have been
evolved. These can be further divided into two division’s namely environmental resource
management and environmental quality and protection management. The management of
resources is related with all kinds of natural resources like animals, planets, forests, birds, coal,
petroleum, land, freshwater lakes, air and waste Chowdhary et.al (2014). IoT is capable in
providing a sound communication channel between these resources through various monitoring
and research locations so that suitable decisions regarding utilization of resources can be made.
IoT uses the renewable resources like sunlight, wind, water in an efficient manner so that they
can be managed well.
This technology is good enough to administer and manage the quality of air by the process of
collection of data through remote sensors throughout the city and giving them long coverage of
the area so that traffics in the urban areas can be managed well. IoT is also used to understand
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the increase in water pollution and takes decisions regarding usage of water and treating the
waste of water Riggins and Wamba, (2015). Managing the waste is again a challenging task.
There are many materials that cause waste like chemicals and other harmful products that pollute
the environment and harm the life of people in number of ways affecting humans, animals, plant
life and atmosphere. IoT helps in managing such factors that affect the environment by reducing
waste and improving the environment.
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3. Research methodology
Research Question
When the researcher carries out a research, he formulates many research related questions to get
the good knowledge and conduct related to the topic of research. He tries to get the maximum
information related to topic.
 What role does integration of system play in bringing innovation and growth in the
organization?
 What are the features of system integration and Internet of things and the role it plays in
improving the operations of the business?
 How Internet of things is helpful for any organization and what role does it play?
 What are the major issues faced by the IT managers while playing their role in
implementing enterprise systems?
Research type
The type of the research is decided by the researcher on the basis of characteristics of the
research conducted by researcher. The research can be either qualitative or quantitative in its
form. The data and all the information that are collected for study gives the basis for selecting the
data. Studies clarify that if the data has numerical values then it is said to be quantitative type of
research and if the information collected is theoretical in its terms then it is said to be qualitative
type of research. Further it can be concluded that if the study has the data which is objective in
nature then it is quantitative type of research and if the study involves subjective kind of data
then it is qualitative in nature Taylor et.al. (2015). Being subjective and theoretical in nature
researcher use qualitative type of data for research because it does not involves numerical data.
Therefore the researcher should understand the type of research conducted in order to move on
further in his research successfully.
Research design
The design of research is used to find a suitable answer to all the research questions around
which the whole study revolves. This also helps in finding the main objective of the study.
Generally the research design has been divided into three main categories namely exploratory
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research design, descriptive research design and explanatory research design. The research that is
conducted falls into any of these three categories. In this study the investigator has utilized the
exploratory research design Mackey and Gass, (2015). This research also helps the researcher in
finding a different criterion in which no preliminary study has to be undertaken. It assists the
investigator by giving the full explanation regarding the effects of enterprise systems with IoT
and also helps him in obtaining a strong plan for the research undertaken. Research design
should be one which is simple and easily understood by the users of the research.
Research approaches
There are various approaches to research. These approaches help the researcher in expanding the
range of a particular hypothesis so that the collection of data can be finished; also it can be
implemented and evaluated properly. The two types of approaches that are used generally are
inductive approach and deductive approach. The inductive type of approach of research assists
the researcher to introduce a hypothesis by providing first preference to the research questions
which are every important but deductive approach of research laid its focus on evaluating the
hypothesis and also it is effective in meeting the main aim of research which is undertaken
Silverman (2016). In relation with the current research, the research should carry out the
deductive approach of research which involves the testing of hypothesis for the topic which is
taken under to study about the whole concept. The choice of approach is also very important.
The success of research is dependent on the type of approach adopted for research.
Research strategy
Strategy is a kind of plan which is formulated to achieve a certain goal. Likewise researcher also
sets a strategy for research to achieve its target. The research strategy is actually a procedure that
needs to be followed in the set sequence that gives the guidelines to conduct the study in the
manner prescribed. Also it helps in developing the clear and specific reports and also helps in
deriving a result which is very important for the research conducted Smith (2015). The strategy
of research also helps to resolve the issues that are connected with the research. The research
strategy has been broadly divided into three types namely case study, interview and survey.
Survey is the strategy in which a small population is selected and is questioned to get the
answers. And on the basis of that a report is prepared which gives detailed information of
choices and preferences of the selected population. Interview is another type of strategy wherein
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certain people are interviewed either personally or on telephone which again describes the choice
and preferences of the people. Another type of strategy is case study. Case study means to
explain the real time environment and circumstances on a theoretical basis to let them understand
the situation that may be faced Rebelo et.al (2016). Amongst the three types of strategy,
researcher generally use case study to collect the maximum information within a limited period
of time. This also helps in solving complex problems easily.
Data collection methods
The technique of data collection is the methodological approach in which various facts are
aligned from the sources that are available to get the correct picture of the research undertaken.
The two types of data collection methods are primary method of collecting data and secondary
method of collecting data. Primary data collection means to collect the data which was not
available earlier. This means to collect the data regarding any purpose for the first time or the
research itself is undertaken for the first time. This is done with the help of conducting
interviews, distributing questionnaire and evaluating the data so collected. Secondary data
collection is that method of collection where data is derived from available sources Mackey and
Gass, (2015). We can also say that the research relating to the same topic has been conducted
earlier also. The available sources of providing information in case of secondary data collection
are books, journals, magazines, newspapers, or web articles.
As we talk about the current study, the investigator has used the secondary source of data
collection to build a strong base of reason and also it reflects that the data collected is important
for the topic which is in concern. To collect this data researcher has taken the help of case
studies, books, journals, and various articles on enterprise systems integration with IoT and
solved all the questions relating to the research study. Further we can also say that the
investigator will have a thorough understanding on the topic of research which is undertaken. All
the steps in the research methodology are very important and should be undertaken carefully.
The researcher must be smart enough to choose the method of collecting data.
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