INTEGRATED WEB-BASED MANAGEMENT APPLICATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (SME)

INTEGRATED WEB BASED MANAGEMENT APPLICATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (SME)
 
ABSTRACT
The appearance of the Internet has led to a revolution in many spheres of human activity, however, probably the biggest impact it has had in developing the global business environment. Information, their availability and speed of exchange are the basis of successful modern business enterprise, and the Internet in this context is the perfect tool for finding and distributing information. Complex, Web applications have become essential for survival and development of modern enterprises in a global, international markets. Web applications are by nature distributed applications, which means that they are programs that run on more than one computer and communicate via a network. Specifically, the web application is accessed via a web browser and therefore update and maintain web applications without installing special software on potentially thousands of client computers is a key reason for their popularity. This research work describes integrated management Web applications how it can be used and manage a SME. The researcher used the web programming language PHP, JAVA and MYSQL as its database and Java script for form validation to achieve the project work which will be implemented at the end of this research wok.
 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Web based management application system is a program that allows users of manage and control the activities of their business over the internet, this system allows them to makes sales and get paid for the goods they have on store, this system also give them the inventory control of the business too. A management system is the framework of policies, processes and procedures used to ensure that an organization can fulfill all tasks required to achieve its objectives. Management of enterprise application systems is not easy. I.T teams have to quickly embrace newer techniques that will enable such systems to be managed effectively. Central to these techniques is to capture, build, and make available libraries of reusable knowledge about the systems they have to manage. The framework of knowledge areas presented in this document is a starting point for IT teams to organize these libraries.
Current generation application systems are complex ecosystems—the various applications within the ecosystem have many interdependencies among them and are generally integrated at a platform level; they are not a collection of independent applications using application level integration schemes. There is a strong interdependency between business systems, IT systems, software systems, platforms, and IT infrastructure. As a result, a holistic management of the entire ecosystem is required to achieve consistently high quality of service—they cannot be managed as independent silos. The complexity of these systems implies that IT teams tasked with their management need to have specialized interdisciplinary knowledge and techniques beyond what has been traditionally used to manage individual elements of infrastructure business data.
1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH
In today’s production world, an effective manufacturing company (whether small, medium or large) depends upon the accurate and precise planning of manufacturing resources such as materials, machines, tools, processes, labour, and capacity (Andijani and Selim, 1996). In the past, different companies have adopted different MPC systems according to their organizational activities and resources (Chan and Burns, 2002). Recent research has shown that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are far behind the Large Enterprises (LEs) in certain planning and manufacturing environment especially in developing countries due to limited resources and economy (Uddin and Saeed, 2010). In today’s manufacturing environment, a company can rarely survive without implementing any one of the MPC systems (Wacker and Hanson, 1997).
According to Humphreys et al (2001), “Improving and increasing the competitiveness is now essential for small and large businesses alike”. MPC approaches can be placed into two categories, namely the quantitative approach and the systems approach. The quantitative approach contains Statistical Inventory Control (SIC), Aggregate Production Planning (APP) and Reorder Point (ROP), whilst on the other hand the systems approach includes Period Batch Control (PBC), MRP, MRP II, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Just-In-Time (JIT) production, Optimized Production Technology (OPT), Hierarchical Production Planning (HPP), Constant Work-In-Process (CONWIP) and the Hybrid MPC system (Chan and Burns, 2002).
In the late 1960’s, an effective MPC system approach known as MRP originated and played vital role to form an effective inventory strategy in an environment of known demand (He et al, 2005). This MRP system was initially implemented in the air line and mobile industries (Moustakis, 2000). After a decade, the production world realized that the MRP system required some essential changes in terms of looking at additional manufacturing resources other than materials planning (Porter et al, 1999). Therefore, in the late 1980’s, major changes were made which led to the evolution of new system approach known as MRP II (Wong and Kleiner, 2001).
1.2     STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
The present system uses a manual method of operation to run their business transaction and activities, due to that, they have not been able to keep a standard record of business operations. In the present, record management is very difficult to track, sales made previously are quickly forgotten just in no time, debit record have errors in them as a result of bad record keeping and entry. The management cannot tell the stock they have, when it runs out on stock or otherwise. With this reason the researcher sort to embark on this study so as to find a solution to this problem.
1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objective of his researcher study is to solve the problem listed in the research problem or the research statement.  Therefore, the researcher have proposed a new system a web based management application for the enterprise, a system that will help them in the management of their business transaction and activities. The new system will attempt to solve the following.
1.     Manage the business operation
2.     Keep sales record and debit
3.     Keeps inventory records and stock.
4.     Saves records in a systematic secure manner easily accessible
5.     A system that will allow the enterprise sales over the internet.
1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is primarily aimed at increasing efficiency in operations, reducing maintenance and running cost, monitoring the supply of goods and its distribution and increase profit in the Nigerian SME by introducing a web based management application control system. Also the knowledge that would be obtained from this research will assist the management to grow,also this research work will also be of help to the upcoming researcher in this field of study both with the academic students on their study.
1.5     SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this study covers the elifree global Tech PLC as a whole, and its business operation which include sales, distribution and the general public service to the clients. More of the business record management, the business debit record management, the business inventory and stocks records, the business cash sales and online sales.
1.6     LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This project was constrained by the following factors:
Financial Constraints: Bearing in mind the economic state of the nation, it was found difficult in making both ends meet, because of the exorbitant nature of things nowadays in travelling for the collection of data needed for the project.
Time Constraints: Looking at the interval between the resumption and vacation of the final semester for the project to be completed, the time given seemed to be short for the collection of required information for better work to be done.
Non-Availability of Material: During this project, it was noticed that the required materials needed for the project are not documented. Those that were documented lacked storage facilities where they can be reached.
1.7     DEFINITION OF TERMS
Software: Is a collection of data that tells the system how to perform a particular task or operation. Or a sequential step by step process of carrying out a task instruction.
System: Is a set of computer components (that is, the assembling of hardware, software and peripherals to function together)
Database: A database is a systematically arranged collection of computer data so that it can automatically retrieved of manipulated. It is also called a data bank.
Application: An application program (or application for short) is a computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user.