Experts from accounting and engineering will join forces in an exploration of interdisciplinary research on Tuesday.

Tim West, assistant professor of accounting, will present the seminar “Integrating Engineering and Business Research” along with Judy Vance, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

West said he is trying to create an interest in interdisciplinary research. “If you can put people with diverse research interests and a variety of expertise together, you’re bound to get a better product in the long run.”

He said students are often encouraged to get a broader depth of independent study and that faculty members also need to adhere to that idea.

West and Vance are working together on a project funded by a National Science Foundation Grant. “We’ve come across an access to several small businesses … and what they’re willing to help us do is investigate how small businesses use technology,” West said.

Vance said their proposal looks at ways for small and medium manufacturing companies to justify investing in new technology.

“Some of the research has shown that they don’t evaluate the benefits of new technology,” Vance said.

She said often companies will look at the expense of buying a new machine and then decide not to purchase one. “There are intangible factors that they don’t take into account.”

The seminar will serve as an opportunity to access four unique data sources including a small business/entrepreneurship source, a manufacturing source, an accounting source and an engineering source.

Vance’s work involves developing virtual manufacturing equipment to support the technical illustration of the function of proposed new equipment and worker training in the use of the equipment, according to the project description.

The project, which is scheduled to last three years, will be researched in five phases. The first two deal with developing a better understanding of the performance measures used by manufacturers to evaluate the potential of technological innovations.

The last three phases are concerned with the development, testing and revision of the accounting simulation linked with the virtual manufacturing environment.

The research will provide four options for addressing cost benefit questions.

Target costing represents the difference between the sale price needed to capture a predetermined market share and the desired profit per unit.

The second option, kaizen costing, applies the concepts of continuous improvement to accounting measures of performance.

Standard costing represents the common accounting model associated with companies that produce mature products that are well accepted in the marketplace.

The last option, lifecycle costing, is an accounting model that considers the whole-life costs of products, according to the project description.

“I will be developing virtual reality machining centers that will help business people understand what new technology can do for their industry,” Vance said.

West that the seminar is open to anyone interested and that a couple of door prizes will be given.

“Integrating Engineering and Business Research” will be held Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. in 290 Carver.