Multiple wireless sensor networks enabling business processes

According to Schaap.H and MARK.IR.J.J. BIJL (2007), quantity and quality are the two most important factors due to which companies want to optimize and improve their line of products. It is used in office and home environments, logistics and is also used in production processes within a factory. Real time information is obtained and it helps in improving production processes.

Tsetsos, V., Alyfantis, G., Hasiotis, T., Sekkas, O. and Hadjiefthymiades, S. (2005) studied the opportunity of sensor networks in commercial applications. Some of the applications are health monitoring system, traffic monitoring system. These sensors use mobile networks, application service providers and technical frameworks, so that the business process can facilitate and adapt to the business requirements.

Enwall. T (2006) in his paper mentions that Wireless Sensor Networks are the “next great frontier”. This technology has many possibilities available to everyone irrespective of the geographic location. These build bridges between the “physical world” and the “enterprise computing system” at very low costs. These are nothing but integrated digitised networks opening up lots of possibilities where it was difficult to even imagine. They have a lot of potential applications and fundamental areas that can benefit business processes.

Lecklider. T (2008) mentions many examples that use Multiple Wireless Sensor Networks in business processes, some of them are for military surveillance, self-organizing networks and autonomous wireless sensors and remotely monitoring of vehicular movement. Another example is ZigBee which eliminates the basic need for office building wiring for all control processes. The process of mhaving sensors helps in cutting costs and reducing labour and can be used in areas where human intervention is expensive or plain impossible. They are reliable and require batteries with long life. Wireless refers to not only wiring but also power and even control of all processes. Niek Van Dierdonck, vice president (strategy and product management) at GreenPeak has expressed that the company has developed an “ultralow-power strategy” with an effort to make all sensors truly wireless. The architecture and standards used are as follows- Self Configuring Nodes, Self-Healing to reduce redundancy, Star network for peer-peer communication, Router, Star Network connections and ISA-SP100, IEEE 802.15.4 and WiHART standards.

From the research done it is clear to understand that Wireless Sensor Networks is a network of many sensors that are connected to each other wirelessly within a network. These sensors are individual and autonomous processes. These sensors or processes have their own, processors, memory and source of energy. These sensors can therefore collect data and trigger series of events. These sensors are small and can communicate only over a few hundred meters. These sensors can be connected to other bigger systems of an external network. These Wireless Sensory Networks enable running of business process efficiently and effectively.

These are much more sophisticated than RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. Sensors are used in monitoring, controlling, tracking and tracing of products through business processes. They get information out of the environment and trigger actions or events within the environment. These sensors are used for obtaining temperature, presence of chemical in the air or even pressure.

The applications of Multiple Wireless Sensory Networks is plenty, the area is widespread and constantly growing. The need therefore is to have standards in communication and interfaces so that it can be used easily by any business process. There are is open to further developments as demand is high for an efficient and effective system to manage business processes.

References

• Tsetsos, V., Alyfantis, G., Hasiotis, T., Sekkas, O. and Hadjiefthymiades, S. (2005).
• Commercial wireless sensor networks: technical and business issues
• Wireless On-demand Network Systems and Services, 2005. WONS 2005. Second Annual Conference. Volume , Issue , 19-21 Jan. 2005 Page(s): 166 – 173
• Schaap.H and MARK.IR.J.J. BIJL (2007). Wireless Sensor Networks – Key to
• Unlocking the Smart Factory. SUFRAMA. MINAPIM. Ambient Systems B.V.http://www.suframa.gov.br/minapim/news/visArtigo.cfm?Ident=427&Lang=EN
• Enwall. T (2006). Understanding wireless sensor and control networks.
• Lecklider. T (2008). Wireless sensor networks are taking over. EE-Evaluation Engineering. http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/173789387.html