We are mostly amateurs, but we can give you enough information to get the gist of the story.
Try this link for basic info: WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?

To go professional you should perhaps visit a place like Holland and see some of the set-ups. You can then also speak to a consultant for info on investment (and maybe even aid)

Good luck

Honestly probably the best thing you could do would be to find the nearest hydroponic farm to where you are and see if you can schedule an in-depth tour of the facilities. There's just no amount of explaining that can substitute for seeing it yourself.

That being said, if you're looking into commercial food production via hydroponics, I would recommend telling your boss to pay for a copy of "Hydroponic Food Production" by Dr. Howard M. Resh. It's about $50 USD for a copy and it is the single best resource I've seen or heard about for hydroponic food cropping.

Plus, it covers the commercial aspects rather nicely. Honestly, I doubt there's a hydroponic farm anywhere in the world that doesn't have a copy of the book somewhere on the premises.