The research topic seeks to implement an electronic application that will overcome the shortcoming of using papers in documentation. The research will mainly concentrate on identifying the pros of using electronic method of documentation as compared to paper work. The project researches on amount of man-hour to be saved by shifting from manual documentation to electronic format. The topic was generated from the systematic process of document validation in manufacturing department. This is mainly in validation process where paper work need to be sign off by engineers who overview the manufacturing process. This poses a challenge since it takes time to locate people who are required to sign off the paper work. The documentation must also be perfect, and technician and engineers must certify this by signing and stamping the documents involved.
Implementation of an electronic application will cut short the lengthy process of validating the documents involved. This research will help identify the amount of hours that could be saved by implementing an electronic process. Signing and stamping documents is a lengthy process that takes many hours. Using electronic method will make the document readily available for validating by technicians and engineers hence no queues is involved. The level of efficiency can also be checked by checking the quality of information generated through electronic application in terms of minimization of errors. This research topic was chosen since better processes can be identified for processing and validating information in the department. It also gives the student a chance to research and identify effective methods of processing and validating information in organization. In addition, this topic will help in improving from manual processing of information to electronic method. This will time and help overcome shortcoming associated with manual processing of data in organizations. The topic is also time bound and schedule fits on the schedule provided.
Refinement process
According to the group members, this was the best topic discussed. It is, however, wide and required to be narrowed down by coming up with objective of the research. This research involved identifying the shortcoming of manual processing of data compared to electronic method. This topic was narrowed to process improvements and studying past researches that touches the topic. It also requires study of workflow and systematic processes in the organization. It also seeks to identify various data processing soft wares. The pros of the electronic process must overpass the manual processing and validation of data. The research studied the pros that are associated with electronic method of data processing and validation. As observed, the electronic method has no legal implication involved. There is no permission that needs to be granted as compared to manual process.
The manual process requires the paper work to be signed and stamped by various dignitaries like technician and engineers. Contrary there is no human subject that is involved in electronic method hence no permission that is required. This means that no person will be in harm’s way since no human subject is involved. Any error in documentation cannot be related to any person in the organization. The team involved in documentation can be easily trained and they need not be experts in subject. This means that the electronic method is viable and can be used by any person in the organization by simply undergoing training. Hence the change is can be embraced by employee in the organization since it does not pose any challenge. The topic also proves to be viable in terms of time and man power. The research is time bound and the schedule is well embraced by all team members. It is also interesting and group members will learn from the research. The topic also real and deals with challenge that is experienced by many organizations. Hence, both the primary and secondary data will be accessible by the team undertaking the research.
The research requires the team members to identify the man hour that will be saved by shifting from manual documentation to electronic format. This requires computational techniques to calculate the saved man hour. This makes the quantitative methodology the best for undertaking this research. To undertake such computation the study requires effective collection of timely data based on facts. Quantitative method involves study of phenomenon by applying statistical or mathematical computation (Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). In this study, the researcher is required to compute the number of hours that are saved by shifting to electronic method of documentation. This requires using mathematical models that will compare the number of hours used in manual documentation and electronic computation. This data in numeric and is only assessed using quantitative methodology.
The data to be obtained must be unbiased for the researcher to identify make valid conclusion. Contrary to the qualitative method that is hypothetical quantitative method is used to verify whether the hypothesis gives a true reflection. In this research, the data generated by the methodology must give show that the electronic method of documentation saves man-hour compared to manual documentation. This is keenly based on facts and not hypothesis. This research requires collection and analysis of data that will help in making the conclusion and recommendation of the research. Due to the nature that it is based on facts only, qualitative methodology is best suited for this research. It is purely study of facts and mathematical computation of money and man-hour saved from shifting to electronic documentation format. An action research can also be used to identify an area that needs improvement during evaluation of the electronic format.
The criteria for this research were based on group discussion, which identified effective selection for the study of the phenomenon in the research. The schedule for the research covered the appropriate period time required for the completion of the project. The research did not need any permission for it to be undertaken since it does not have any legal complication. This meant that the participant in the project would not be in the harm’s way during the study. In addition, the team undertaking the research is not required to possess special skills or understanding of the subject under the study. This means that the participants can easily undertake the research without complication. The topic touches on a challenge that is experienced by many organizations hence it is factual.
The project will also act as a motivation to the researchers since they will use their skills to undertake the study. In over all the generated topics by group member this was the most viable topic for this research on basis of time and other resources required to complete the study. Quantities method was also the best methodology to undertake the study because it requires mathematical computation of factual numerical data gathered in the study (Creswell, 2003). This will help in generating correct conclusion and recommendation for the study.
References
Balnaves, M., & Caputi, P. (2001). Introduction to quantitative research methods: An
investigative approach. London: SAGE.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches. Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.: Sage Publ.
