Design for Management Information System Based on Internet of Things * School of Computer Science, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong Sichuan 643000, PR China, 413789256@qq.com Abstract Manufacturing and services industries are required to carry out the informatization management from product design and manufacturing to sales and service during the entire life cycle, while Internet of things technology can fitly help enterprises achieve this objective. This paper outlines and analyzes a networking model to build a management information system based on Internet of things. Beginning from the key factors of constructing system, we firstly generalize the three basic characteristics of networking MIS. Next, we introduce a conceptual system model and illustrate in detail system components as well as its running flow. Finally, we present an implemented scheme used to establish each system module under J2EE platform. Practical results prove that our networking MIS can make goods distribution more clearly, dynamically and completely controlled in the hands of managers, contributing to improve the production and management levels of traditional enterprises. Keywords: Management Information System, Internet of Things, RFID middleware, design model, intelligent networks 1. Introduction As the application of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology becomes more mature, EPC (Electronic Product Code) system [1] for manufacturing services industries provide an unprecedented, nearly perfect solution. Smart manufacturing [2] and services supported by sensing networks, database technology, business intelligence, virtual simulation, modelling technology and so on, makes the product intelligence, manufacturing process automation, and provides applications for aided management decision. Internet of things [3] through comprehensive perception, reliable delivery and intelligent processing makes the information reach different destinations so as to achieve things things connected and information sharing. Internet of Things built by EPC hardware and software technology will make a fundamental change in the product life-cycle management from production, warehousing, purchasing, transportation, sale to consumption. Manufacturing and services industries are required to achieve the informatization management from product design and manufacturing to sales and service during the entire life cycle, while Internet of things technology can fitly help them gain this advantage. RFID as a high-tech, which can rapidly, real-time, accurately parse and process information, is not only listed as one of the ten important technologies of this century, but also a key technology to build Management Information System (MIS) based on Internet of Things (IoT). MIS based on IoT refers to a human-computer system, which includes two important functions. One hand, the effective control and management of enterprises supply chain is implemented through the relevant information in IoT. On the other hand, it provides management solutions and operational decision support for the manager. For example, Lockheed Martin military company, which uses advanced MIS, during the development of JSF aircraft, tooling reduces 90%, production time reduces 66% and manufacturing costs reduce 50%. When the conception of Internet of things comprehensively becomes a reality, when the goods of the world whenever, wherever linked to each other to communicate, the prospects of manufacturing services will be a whole new look. 2. Key factors of system constructing Modern MIS is a very advanced, integrated and complex system; as the same time, it is also an open and neutral system. The ultimate goal is for every single product to establish a global International Journal of Engineering and Industries (IJEI) Volume 6, Number 1, March 2015 47
and open identity standard. To achieve above objective, constructing modern MIS based on IoT technology should be taken into the following at least three factors. 2.1. Global standard architecture Networking MIS takes the world's largest public Internet networks as its operating environment. This avoids increasing the complexity of the system, but also greatly reduces the running cost of the system, and contributes to keep system value-added and transplanted. Objects identified by the information system are very broad entities, but the different standards of radio frequency identification technology in different regions and different countries bring about a problem to build a general system, undoubtedly confronting with a major constraint. Thus, open structure requirements must be identifiable with independent coding system, international standards of radio-frequency frequency and a high degree of interactive operability. That is, networking MIS, which is on the basis of Internet and adopts the RFID as the core of IoT technology, can cooperate with all components on the Internet. 2.2. System security Networking MIS based on RFID technology is an open system, creating a large number of product data to transmit over the Internet, in particular, RFID radio frequency signal transporting in wireless channel; therefore, data owner is bound to consider the safety concerns and it becomes essential to enhance network security. The combination of RFID with EPC technology can make the product data encoded and encrypted, as a result, the system security will be greatly enhanced. The common security rules are that the readers only read no direct significance EPC code and just gain those data, such as product temperature, position, time, etc., however, the real terms message of product data is read only through EPC Information Server. 2.3. Systematic economic condition Networking MIS needs software system, reader and other hardware facilities, a huge time investment. First of all, RFID tag in high prices is an important factor to restrict Internet of things universal access. It is estimated that only the unit tag price down to 10 cents or less, it may be applied to large-scale whole package goods; down to 3 cents less, be possible to apply to a single product. In addition to RFID / EPC tags, readers are also a huge expenditure, plus the computer, LAN, application software, system integration and other expenses, so the majority of small and middle enterprises will undoubtedly balk. In addition, the direct or indirect costs resulting from the reconstruction of business processes cannot be ignored. Besides technological innovation, it will be an important and effective means to solve the economic problems of Internet of things through state support to improve production, the level of information circulation, through economies of scale to reduce operating costs. 3. System conceptual model This section attempts to outline and analyze a networking model used to build networking MIS. Resorting to this model, people can further research and establish custom rules used to general information processing, make manufacturing and service enterprises more efficiently build a modern information system, and facilitate practical application for Internet of things technology. 3.1. Basic framework of MIS The basic framework model of networking MIS using RFID technology is shown in Figure 1, and this model consists of three parts: RFID hardware, middleware systems and Internet. The hardware system includes an electronic tag and reader, the former is affixed to each entity and each tag has a 48
unique electronic product code. Savant is a kind of middleware system between the reader and the Internet, which can provide users with a range of computing and data processing functions. Its main task is to process tag data that reader reads, which includes data capture, filtering, collection, computation, data validation, demodulation, data transfer, data storage and task management, to reduce the amount of data traffic from RFID readers to the plant. Meanwhile, Savant also provides interoperability functions supported by other RFID software system through interface technology. It contains EPC information servers, physical Markup Language (PML) server [4], Object Name Service (ONS) server and supports RFID reader software systems and the other enterprise management-system server. These systems achieve connecting to the external Internet so that it can timely and effectively track, query as well as update data. 3.2. Data processing procedure Figure 1. Basic framework of networking MIS Internet of Things dominated and supported by RFID technology is a large-scale system, which on the one hand takes full uses of existing Internet resources, on the other hand can construct entity Internet in the range of whole world. In this physical Internet that is composed of RFID tags, identification equipment, Savant middleware system, ONS server, EPC information service system as well as numerous database, the EPC code read by the identification device is just a pointer, from which it could find the corresponding IP address in the Internet, further gaining relevant goods data stored according to an address and delivering the Savant software system for processing and management. Because there is only one goods EPC code on each electronic tag, the computer needs to know some additional information to match the EPC, which requires using ONS to provide an automated web-based database services. Savant transmits EPC codes to the ONS, and subsequently ONS guides Savant to look up and process useful information in a EPC Server which preserves the product file, but also to interact with the database server and the EPC information system. The process of read and write RFID data is shown in Figure 2. Readers read EPC code from an electronic tag and transfer the useful information to the Savant system, after that it can detect and acquire the current address of the remote EPC Information server through ONS. Thereafter Savant sends PML read-data request to a remote EPC information server, EPC Information server responds the PML result-data back to Savant, and then Savant deals with the content of the new EPC code. 49
4. System construction Figure 2. Read / Write tags procedure Based on the above model, we design a networking MIS applied to manufacturing and service enterprises, which is composed of sensing network, control system, data processing module and database four parts, and its composition and function of each part is as follows. Only when mutual coordination and mutual convergence among the various modules in MIS exists, it can ensure information system to work effectively and stably. System running flow is as shown in Figure 3. (1) Sensing network It collects business entity information, which includes unique encoding or features message and location coding, by information-sensing devices and smart positioning systems. And then it performs intelligent processing to provide data that the analysis and decision system can identify. Subsequently, the sensing networks through intelligent interactive system deliver sensing data to the decision system. (2) Decision system It receives business entities' messages coming from sensing network, including the only coding information or features and physical location information, and then executes data analysis. On the one hand, by comparing the analysis and decision data in database, it can find the informatization interfaces that the system will pre-call; on the other hand, information system can find out correspondingly specific meaning by querying entity physical location or unique encoding from the database, such as a name corresponding to a working stage. Analysis and decision system will finally transfer the decision data to the execution system. 50
Sensing Network Interactive System Signal Processing Sensing Devices Positioning Systems Database Coding Library Decision Data Feature Library System Data Location Message Parameter Settings Decision System Receive Data Decision Data Network Control Execution System Call Interface Execution Analysis Data System Integrity Analysis Data Operation Figure 3. System running flow (3) Execution system It receives data from the decision system, calls corresponding interfaces in MIS, and transmits sensing data to the data system interface. (4) Data system It is called and then executes the corresponding informatization operations. First, data integrity analysis should be done to ensure the accuracy of sensing data, then performs the corresponding database operation and feedback, and output the results. By control system and decision system, the further action in sensing network will be controlled better so as to ensure the repeatedly effective operation of MIS. During intelligent processing information, specific data stored in the database plays a fundamental role, for example, calling up information interface from the database according to entity information and its physical location information. This information is the predefined parameter stored in the database when information system is established. Data will be timely read as the system is running. As long as there are changes in enterprise business, it will be modified. Effective operation of information systems mostly depends on accurately obtaining the entity information and physical location information. The analysis and decision system decide to call which information interface, and the execution system by interface call ensures the effective operation of the system. 5. Experiment results Our designed MIS can be tested on J2EE platform [5], using a combination of Struts, Spring, Hibernate [6], Servlet [7], HTML, JavaScript and other technology to develop a software and apply it to a supermarket for warehouse management. When goods are in or out of shelf, our MIS is going to automatically detect and trace the goods. 51
5.1. System implementation (1) Sensing networks This module uses common collection devices with microcontroller to gather information. Processing algorithms integrated in the device chip is used to complete the intelligent processing during information acquisition. The only identification and other information that is collected from sensing networks every time, will store in the temporary table of database, and analysis and decision system obtains data source by reading the data in the temporary table. (2) Decision system Through the Servlet technology and database technology, analysis and decision system is built, which defines the interaction with the sensing network Servlet, and our MIS takes.listener suffix as a request that is interpreted and executed by analysis and decision systems. (3) Execution system The execution system mainly defines extensive interface of information systems and analyzes the executed results of MIS, and it uses the way of Java class to be defined and implemented. (4) Data system This module can use Struts + Spring + Hibernate framework for developing, adopting MVC [8] control mode, in accordance with the typical three-layer structure, similar with existing information systems in development mode. Data systems, analysis and decision system, execution system together form a software platform of MIS. Analysis and decision system and execution systems as a connecting bridge between data systems and sensing networks also are an important guarantee to implement MIS automated and intelligent 5.2. Application results We apply our networking information system to a supermarket for warehouse management, detecting and tracking the goods out of storage, shown in Figure 4. Goods out of storage Figure 4. Detection to goods out of storage Practical results show that our system can display the physical location of goods in real time and enable redundant RFID data filtering and automatic data transformation. All the information on the items can be collected and tracked in real time, and provide a strong support to goods out of storage for its effective management and control. 52
6. Conclusions Because of read/write characteristics of RFID, it can provide continuously updated real-time data stream and be well complementary to manufacturing execution system. RFID information can be used to ensure proper use of labour, machines, tools and components in order to achieve paperless production, reduce downtime and promote transportation performance of production logistics. The networking MIS we present based on IoT for manufacturing and service enterprises, can make a complex product-development system more clearly, dynamically and completely controlled in the hands of managers. Thus, quality and reliability of the manufacture products or services has a systemic guarantee, contributing to implement the production and management informatization, and its performance will have greatly enhanced. Further, if our networking MIS could combine with existing information systems such as manufacturing ERP, CRM, etc., to establish a more powerful information chain, to achieve timely delivery of accurate data at the right time, and to support a variety of on-line measurement and quality control, it can improve asset utilization and enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing services enterprises. 7. Acknowledgements The research was supported by Artificial Intelligence Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province (No. 2013RYY04) and the Sichuan Provincial Education Department s Key Project(No.14ZA0210). Our work was also supported by university Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province(No. 2013WYY09) and Fund Project of Sichuan Provincial Academician (Experts) Workstation (No.2014YSGZZ02). 8. References [1] Yan X Q, Liu Y, Li B, et al. Numeric Evaluation on the System Efficiency of the EPC Gen-2 UHF RFID Tag Collision Resolution Protocol in Error Prone Air Interface[J]. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 2014, 2014. [2] Lao L, Ellis M, Christofides P D. Smart manufacturing: Handling preventive actuator maintenance and economics using model predictive control[j]. AIChE Journal, 2014, 60(6): 2179-2196. [3] Perera C, Zaslavsky A, Christen P, et al. Context aware computing for the internet of things: A survey[j]. Communications Surveys & Tutorials, IEEE, 2014, 16(1): 414-454. [4] Harrison M, McFarlane D. Development of a Prototype PML Server for an Auto-ID Enabled Robotic Manufacturing Environment[J]. Auto-ID Centre, 2003. [5] Qu C, Engel T, Meinel C. Implementation of an enterprise-level groupware system based on J2EE platform and WebDAV protocol[c]. //Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference, 2000. EDOC 2000. Proceedings. Fourth International. IEEE, 2000:160-169. [6] Guang-zai Y E, Xiao-wei L I U. Application of Hibernate framework on online exam system [J]. Electronic Design Engineering, 2013, 7: 002. [7] Shasha Y, Fangchun Y, Wei W. A novel secure servlet container in PaaS based on the Java security architecture[j]. Application of Electronic Technique, 2013, 1: 050. [8] Lin Y J, Lin S. Research on E-Commerce Software Framework of MVC Mode Based on.net[j]. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2013:2645-2648. 53