Barcode Technology Research Articles

Evaluation of Medication Incidents in a Long-term Care Facility Using Electronic Medication Administration Records and Barcode Technology.

Objective To describe the frequency, type, and severity of reported medication incidents that occurred at a long-term care facility (LTCF) despite electronic medication administration record and barcode-assisted medication administration (eMAR-BCMA) use. The study also contains analysis for the contribution of staff workarounds to reported medication administration errors (MAEs) using an established typology for BCMA workarounds, characterize if the eMAR-BCMA technology contributed to MAEs, and explore characteristics influencing incident severity. Design Retrospective incident report review. Setting A 239-bed LTCF in Alberta, Canada, that implemented eMAR-BCMA in 2013. Participants 270 paper-based, medication incident reports submitted voluntarily between June 2015 and October 2017. Interventions None. Results Most of the 264 resident-specific medication incidents occurred during the administration (71.9%, 190/264) or dispensing (28.4%, 75/264) phases, and 2.3% (6/264) resulted in temporary harm. Medication omission (43.7%, 83/190) and incorrect time (22.6%, 43/190) were the most common type of MAE. Workarounds occurred in 41.1% (78/190) of MAEs, most commonly documenting administration before the medication was administered (44.9%, 35/78). Of the non-workaround MAEs, 52.7% (59/112) were notassociated with the eMAR-BCMA technology, while 26.8% (30/112) involved system design shortcomings, most notably lack of a requirement to scan each medication pouch during administration. MAEs involving workarounds were less likely to reach the resident (74.4 vs 88.8%; relative risk = 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.97). Conclusion Administration and dispensing errors were the most reported medication incidents. eMAR-BCMA workarounds, and design shortcomings were involved in a large proportion of reported MAEs. Attention to optimal eMAR-BCMA use and design are required to facilitate medication safety in LTCFs.

EP16.04-002 Combining Patient-Derived Xenografts and Barcoding Technology to Evaluate Response to Targeted Therapies in ALK+NSCLC

About 5% of all non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbor the EML4-ALK rearrangements. While ALK-targeted therapy is now clinical practice in these patients, the vast majority develops treatment resistance, frequently due to secondary mutations in the kinase domain of the ALK gene. In clinical settings, resistance can be determined only at endpoints, hampering the analysis of dynamic adaptation, selection, and tumor evolution under therapy. Previously, we generated patient-derived xenografts from malignant pleural effusions of ALK+ tumors.

Ways To Enhance Blood Transfusion Safety: A Systematic Review.

Blood product administration is a vital and possibly life-threatening issue that may increase the risk of clinical damage in patients. This review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the ways to improve blood transfusion safety. In order to conduct this systematic review, electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched for data of the last 30 years using keywords including patient safety, blood transfusion, risk management, safety management, and transfusion reaction. The inclusion criteria set for the selection of quantitative articles were articles written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals during the mentioned period. In this study the publications are reviewed in line with the PRISMA guide checklist. Among 6105 articles found during the initial search, 16 articles were finalized for further investigation. Fifty percent of the included articles discussed the use of modern technology including patient identification system, barcode technology, portable computer systems, and databases. Moreover, 31% of the studies evaluated the use of alternative methods for transfusion of blood products including mediastinal blood transfusion, the use of autologous blood in adult patients, the use of cord blood in children, the use of hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier-201, and the injection of fresh whole blood. About 18% of articles drew attention to indications and thresholds as an essential factor increasing patient safety. It was concluded from this study that the use of technology leads to fewer human errors and complications caused by these errors. In addition, some alternative methods can be used in a cost-effective way to reduce serious adverse events caused by common strategies.

Application of DNA barcoding for ensuring food safety and quality.

With increasing international food trade, food quality and safety are high priority worldwide. The consumption of contaminated and adulterated food can cause serious health problems such as infectious diseases and allergies. Therefore, the authentication and traceability systems are needed to improve food safety. The mitochondrial DNA can be used for species authentication of food and food products. Effective DNA barcode markers have been developed to correctly identify species. The US FDA approved to the use of DNA barcoding for various food products. The DNA barcoding technology can be used as a regulatory tool for identification and authenticity. The application of DNA barcoding can reduce the microbiological and toxicological risks associated with the consumption of food and food products. DNA barcoding can be a gold-standard method in food authenticity and fraud detection. This review describes the DNA barcoding method for preventing food fraud and adulteration in meat, fish, and medicinal plants.

Applications of molecular barcode sequencing for the detection of low-frequency variants in circulating tumour DNA from hepatocellular carcinoma.

Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising tool for minimally invasive and accurate detection of various malignancies. We aimed to apply molecular barcode sequencing to circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from liquid biopsies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with HCC or benign liver disease were enrolled between 2017 and 2018. Matched tissue and serum samples were obtained from these patients. Plasma cell-free DNA was extracted and subjected to targeted sequencing with ultra-high coverage and molecular barcoding. The study included 143 patients: 102 with HCC, 7 with benign liver tumours and 34 with chronic liver disease. No tier 1/2 or oncogenic mutations were detected in patients with benign liver disease. Among the HCC patients, 49 (48%) had tier 1/2 mutations in at least one gene; detection rates were higher in advanced stages (75%) than in early stages (26%-33%). TERT was the most frequently mutated gene (30%), followed by TP53 (16%), CTNNB1 (14%), ARID2 (5%), ARID1A (4%), NFE2L2 (4%), AXIN1 (3%) and KRAS (1%). Survival among patients with TP53 mutations was significantly worse (p=0.007) than among patients without these mutations, whereas CTNNB1 and TERT mutations did not affect survival. ctDNA testing combined with α-fetoprotein and prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II analyses improved HCC detection, even in early stages. ctDNA detection using molecular barcoding technology offers dynamic and personalized information concerning tumour biology, such information can guide clinical diagnosis and management. This detection also has the potential as a minimally invasive approach for prognostic stratification and post-therapeutic monitoring.

DNA Barcoding Technology Used to Successfully Sub-Classify a Museum Whale Specimen as Balaenoptera edeni edeni

DNA barcoding technology is becoming an increasingly powerful tool in resolving issues of detailed species identification based on morphology, as commonly employed by museums. In the present study, we aimed to identify a stranded Bryde’s whale on Hainan Island, China by extracting DNA from a vertebra pre-treated by physical and/or chemical processes. Based on morphological characteristics, this Bryde’s whale was initially determined as Balaenoptera edeni. Then, DNA was efficiently extracted using ancient DNA techniques. The mitochondrial gene (COI) phylogenetic analysis further revealed that this museum whale specimen belonged to the sub-species B. e. edeni. This study provides a testable and rapid method for museum species verification, by using ancient DNA extraction methods to compensate the disadvantage of traditional DNA extraction methods that are difficult to extract valid DNA.

Jinping Ginseng species identification based on ITS2 bar code and HPLC technology

Jinping Ginseng species identification based on ITS2 bar code and HPLC technology

Single-Cell Sequencing on Marine Life: Application and Future Development

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) is the genomic approach that directly examines gene expression information from individual cells and provides a higher resolution of cellular differences than bulk RNA-seq. In the past decade, with the rapid development of microfluid, barcoding, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, scRNA-seq has revolutionized transcriptomic studies and gained great success and broad prospects. However, compared with the wide use in the few model animals, the application of scRNA-seq in marine organisms is limited due to the high cost of early scRNA-seq and the immature of single-cell methods for marine organisms. Recently, with the increase of genomic data, maturation of scRNA-seq platform and downstream bioinformatics algorithms, the scRNA-seq has been successfully applied in several marine model animals with great success, which demonstrated that the scRNA-seq could be the ideal and powerful tool to extend our understanding of marine organisms’ evolutionary and physiological processes and their adaptation to ecological niches. Here, we review the state-of-the-art improvements of single-cell sequencing techniques and new studies that apply single-cell methods to marine organisms. We also summarize the opportunities and challenges scientists may face in further single-cell research and propose several appealing prospects that may benefit from the combination of single-cell techniques and marine organisms.

High throughput SARS-CoV-2 variant analysis using molecular barcodes coupled with next generation sequencing.

The identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants across the globe and their implications on the outspread of the pandemic, infection potential and resistance to vaccination, requires modification of the current diagnostic methods to map out viral mutations rapidly and reliably. Here, we demonstrate that integrating DNA barcoding technology, sample pooling and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) provide an applicable solution for large-population viral screening combined with specific variant analysis. Our solution allows high throughput testing by barcoding each sample, followed by pooling of test samples using a multi-step procedure. First, patient-specific barcodes are added to the primers used in a one-step RT-PCR reaction, amplifying three different viral genes and one human housekeeping gene (as internal control). Then, samples are pooled, purified and finally, the generated sequences are read using an Illumina NGS system to identify the positive samples with a sensitivity of 82.5% and a specificity of 97.3%. Using this solution, we were able to identify six known and one unknown SARS-CoV-2 variants in a screen of 960 samples out of which 258 (27%) were positive for the virus. Thus, our diagnostic solution integrates the benefits of large population and epidemiological screening together with sensitive and specific identification of positive samples including variant analysis at a single nucleotide resolution.

Abstract 1773: Overcoming paclitaxel resistance in triple-negative breast cancer using a novel barcoding technology

Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype for which chemotherapy remains a part of standard treatment. Although pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including paclitaxel (PTX), is associated with good outcomes, 50-60% of TNBC patients do not experience pCR and suffer poor long-term outcomes, often due to chemotherapy resistance. Identifying and analyzing the tumor cells responsible for chemotherapy resistance will lead to improved treatment strategies. We developed a model of TNBC resistance to neoadjuvant PTX using Met1 murine mammary carcinoma cells. To study clonal dynamics in response to PTX we developed a barcoding method, SunCatcher. First, 31 single-cell derived clonal populations were generated from parental Met1 cells. Each clone was infected with a lentiviral vector containing a unique DNA barcode detectable by qPCR. All barcoded clones (BCs) were mixed in equivalent numbers to generate a BC pool that we confirmed captures the parental Met1 heterogeneity and tumor growth kinetics. First, PTX responses were tested in vitro. The BC pool had an IC50 of ~100 nM, while individual BCs ranged in IC50 from 5 nM to 25 µM. We maintained the BC pool in 100 nM PTX for 39 days (termed long-term PTX; LTP), at which point it became clonal for BC25, suggesting that BC25 (IC50 of 100 nM) is uniquely PTX resistant, despite being the most proliferative and Zeb1hi/EpCAMlow clone in vitro. BC25 was not detected in the control-treated BC pool at 39 days. Next, the BC pool was orthotopically injected into FVB/NJ mice and treated the mice with 20 mg/kg PTX on days 7, 11, and 15. At the day 18 experimental endpoint, tumor volume significantly decreased by 56% in response to PTX compared to control. BC25 composition increased from 7.7% (controls) to 15% (PTX treated) within the tumors at endpoint. We also injected BC25 and LTP cells alone and administered the same PTX regimen once tumors reached 50 mm3. Both BC25 and LTP tumors were unresponsive to PTX and had a longer latency period (35d) than BC pool (10d). We performed a drug screen of 2313 compounds spanning FDA-approved cancer therapeutics on the LTP cells to identify compounds to target the PTX-resistant clone. HDAC inhibitors were the most potent class of hits and one, Panobinostat, killed LTP cells with an IC50 of 4.3 nM. Utilizing SunCatcher, we identified a unique PTX-resistant TNBC subclone that represents residual disease associated with poor long-term outcome. Typical in vivo experiments would have reached ethical endpoint before BC25 had a chance to grow, given its long latency, therefore this PTX-resistant clone would not have been identified. This is an important finding because therapeutic resistance can emerge after a protracted period, longer than typical pre-clinical experiments. Further work will explore mechanisms of resistance and the potential for combination therapies to prevent recurrent disease. Citation Format: Milos Spasic, Qiuchen Guo, Adam Maynard, Gregory Goreczny, Adrienne Waks, Sara Tolaney, Elizabeth Mittendorf, Sandra McAllister. Overcoming paclitaxel resistance in triple-negative breast cancer using a novel barcoding technology [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1773.

Implementation of the failure modes and effects analysis in a Hospital Radiopharmacy Unit

AimThe aim of this study is the implementation in a Hospital Radiopharmacy Unit of a risk analysis methodology in order to proactively identify possible failure modes and prioritize corrective measures. Materials and methodsBy means of the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), the possible failure modes of each of the stages of the processes of prescription, preparation, and administration of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapy were identified. From the variables of severity, probability and detectability, the risk was quantified using the Risk Priority Number (RPN) for each failure mode, sub-process, and type of radiopharmaceutical. Improvement measures were established and the reduction in the RPN value was calculated. ResultsA total of 96 failure modes were identified (58 for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and 38 for therapy). Biunivocal identification of the patient with the radiopharmaceutical is the failure mode with the highest RPN (60) and the radiolabeling cell sub-process the one that has the highest risk (RPN 286). As a result of the improvement measures, the overall RPN was reduced by 22% for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and 20% for therapy. This reduction would be 46% and 31% respectively if radiopharmacy software and a barcode technology in the administration were implemented. ConclusionsThe application of the FMEA methodology as a risk analysis tool allows to identify the critical points of the processes related to radiopharmaceuticals and prioritize measures to reduce the risk.

Reconstruction of the Eukaryotic Communities in Beppu Bay Over the Past 50 Years Based on Sedimentary DNA Barcoding

AbstractComprehensive reconstruction of changes in eukaryotic communities in the recent past is useful for determining the response of the local ecosystems to global changes during the Anthropocene. We used DNA barcoding technology to reconstruct the marine eukaryotic communities of Beppu Bay, the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, over the past 50 years based on a short sediment core. Highly vulnerable DNA fragments were preserved in the sediments, possibly due to seasonally euxinic conditions. Analysis of the 18S rRNA V9 gene region indicated the temporal variability in eukaryotic communities, which consisted mainly of dinoflagellates and diatoms, in response to changes in the nutrient regime. The dominant species in the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium changed as the water temperature increased. In addition, enhanced contributions by terrestrial plants and mosses were detected in flood sediments. Our results suggest that DNA fragments can be used as a proxy for the paleoenvironmental and paleoecological conditions in Beppu Bay.

Catmint (Nepeta nuda L.) Phylogenetics and Metabolic Responses in Variable Growth Conditions.

Nepeta nuda (catmint; Lamiaceae) is a perennial medicinal plant with a wide geographic distribution in Europe and Asia. This study first characterized the taxonomic position of N. nuda using DNA barcoding technology. Since medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites contributing to their adaptive immune response, we explored the N. nuda metabolic adjustment operating under variable environments. Through comparative analysis of wild-grown and in vitro cultivated plants, we assessed the change in phenolic and iridoid compounds, and the associated immune activities. The wild-grown plants from different Bulgarian locations contained variable amounts of phenolic compounds manifested by a general increase in flowers, as compared to leaves, while a strong reduction was observed in the in vitro plants. A similar trend was noted for the antioxidant and anti-herpesvirus activity of the extracts. The antimicrobial potential, however, was very similar, regardless the growth conditions. Analysis of the N. nuda extracts led to identification of 63 compounds including phenolic acids and derivatives, flavonoids, and iridoids. Quantification of the content of 21 target compounds indicated their general reduction in the extracts from in vitro plants, and only the ferulic acid (FA) was specifically increased. Cultivation of in vitro plants under different light quality and intensity indicated that these variable light conditions altered the content of bioactive compounds, such as aesculin, FA, rosmarinic acid, cirsimaritin, naringenin, rutin, isoquercetin, epideoxyloganic acid, chlorogenic acid. Thus, this study generated novel information on the regulation of N. nuda productivity using light and other cultivation conditions, which could be exploited for biotechnological purposes.

Construction and Application of SPD Automated Management Module for Interventional High-Value Consumables Based on RFID Sensors

In order to discuss the construction and application of the SPD automated management module for interventional high-value consumables based on RFID sensors, a high-value medical consumables management information system based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is designed and implemented in this paper. It not only realizes the scientific, effective, and full-process monitoring of high-value medical consumables management but also provides managers with scientific and efficient management methods, combined with HIS and SPD’s “Unified Receiving Platform” system and barcode technology, to achieve drug barcode acceptance. The experimental results show that the goal of zero inventory management of high value medical consumables is realized and the whole tracking management of use, warehousing, billing, and payment, the high value consumables can be traced back to suppliers and manufacturers and patients, and the inventory, accounting, and payment status can be checked at any time. It proves the effectiveness of RFID technology in the construction and application of SPD automatic management module for high-value consumables.

Multicriteria Optimization of Logistics Processes Using a Grey FUCOM-SWOT Model

Optimization of logistics processes and activities in the function of supply-chain sustainability is a great challenge for logistics companies. It is necessary to rationalize processes in accordance with the strict requirements of the market, while respecting aspects of sustainability, which is not an easy task. Multicriteria decision making can be a tool that contributes to the optimization of logistics processes in terms of making the right decisions and evaluating different strategies in different logistics subsystems. In this paper, we considered the warehousing system as one of the most important logistics subsystems in a company. Conditions and the possibility of implementing barcode technology in order to optimize warehousing processes were evaluated. We formed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) matrix consisting of a total of 27 elements. In order to determine the weights of all factors at the first level of decision making and its indicators at the second level of the decision making hierarchy, an original model was developed. This model involved the creation of a novel grey full-consistency method (FUCOM-G) and integration with a SWOT analysis. Since it was a matter of group decision making, we developed a novel grey Hamy aggregator that, by adequately treating uncertainties and ambiguities, contributed to making more precise decisions. The original grey FUCOM-SWOT model based on the grey Hamy aggregator represents a contribution to the entire field of decision making and optimization of logistics processes. Based on the applied model, the obtained results showed that Weaknesses, as part of the SWOT matrix, are currently the most dominant indicators, and that the implementation of barcode technology in a warehousing system is justified.

Efficient Localization of Multitype Barcodes in High-Resolution Images

Barcode positioning technology is one of the important components of barcode technology. However, most of the current algorithms are only applicable to a single type of barcode positioning or limited to low-resolution images due to a large amount of calculation, and thereby it is still a challenge to locate multitype barcodes in high-resolution images. In response to the above problems, this paper proposes a reliable multitype barcode localization method for multibarcode localization in high-resolution images where one-dimensional (1D) barcodes, two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, or multitype barcodes are present simultaneously. The method consists of three main steps: first, extracting multiple types of barcode features through a joint edge detection algorithm; next, marking target barcode regions with a bidirectional contour labeling method; and finally, extracting barcode regions by an improved affine transformation. The experimental results show that, in terms of localization accuracy, the proposed method has a better accuracy of 97.83% than existing algorithms in low-resolution images and can locate multitype barcodes in high-resolution images with an accuracy rate of 98.04%. Besides, in terms of time cost, the proposed method effectively reduces the time cost by 50% and improves the barcode localization efficiency.

Implementación del análisis modal de fallos y efectos en una Unidad de Radiofarmacia Hospitalaria

AimThe aim of this study is the implementation in a Hospital Radiopharmacy Unit of a risk analysis methodology in order to proactively identify possible failure modes and prioritize corrective measures. Materials and methodsBy means of the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), the possible failure modes of each of the stages of the processes of prescription, preparation, and administration of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapy were identified. From the variables of severity, probability and detectability, the risk was quantified using the Risk Priority Number (RPN) for each failure mode, sub-process, and type of radiopharmaceutical. Improvement measures were established and the reduction in the RPN value was calculated. ResultsA total of 96 failure modes were identified (58 for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and 38 for therapy). Biunivocal identification of the patient with the radiopharmaceutical is the failure mode with the highest RPN (60) and the radiolabeling cell sub-process the one that has the highest risk (RPN 286). As a result of the improvement measures, the overall RPN was reduced by 22% for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and 20% for therapy. This reduction would be 46% and 31% respectively if radiopharmacy software and a barcode technology in the administration were implemented. ConclusionsThe application of the FMEA methodology as a risk analysis tool allows to identify the critical points of the processes related to radiopharmaceuticals and prioritize measures to reduce the risk.

Abstract P1-04-04: Dna barcoding reveals ongoing immunoediting of clonal cancer populations during metastatic progression and in response to immunotherapy

Abstract As cancers develop and spread they must continually evade immune destruction. Understanding mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer is clinically significant as demonstrated with the successes of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Breast cancer is known to be highly immune evasive and responds poorly to the current immunotherapies, indicating alternative immune pathways must be targeted. We hypothesise that there are unidentified genetic mechanisms that enable immune evasion in breast cancer. We aim to uncover and target these mechanisms to sensitise immune evasive breast cancer cells to immune destruction in the context of immunotherapy treatment. DNA barcoding technology offers a new approach to understanding immune evasion. By stably integrating a unique DNA barcode sequence into each cell, we can study clonal immune evasion in vivo. Using this technology, we identified cancer cell clones from the 4T1 murine mammary carcinoma cell line that are highly enriched in lung metastases following treatment with combination immunotherapy (anti-CTLA-4 plus anti-PD-1). We isolated these specific immune evasive clones and established them as clonal cell lines. We have identified stark clonal differences in both PD-L1 and MHC I expression at both the RNA and protein level, and shown that MHC I expression is only partially controlled by epigenetic mechanisms. In addition, immune evasive subclones co-cultured with stimulated T cells resulted in less activated T cells than their less evasive counterparts. Furthermore, RNA sequencing of these clones has identified a gene signature that is strongly associated with decreased survival in both the METABRIC and TCGA cohorts. We have demonstrated ongoing immunoediting in the 4T1 model in vivo, both during metastasis and immunotherapy treatment. We have also identified subclonal populations of cells within a single tumour utilising different mechanisms of immune evasion. RNA sequencing has revealed a gene signature strongly associated with poor survival of basal-like breast cancer in two cohorts. Further pathway-level analysis of the resulting gene signature is required to elucidate the drivers of this aggressive and immune evasive phenotype. By targeting newly identified mechanisms of immune evasion in combination with current immunotherapies, we hope to improve the long-term survival of breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Louise A Baldwin, Nenad Bartonicek, Jessica Yang, Sunny Z Wu, Niantao Deng, Daniel Roden, Chia-Ling Chan, Ghamdan Al-Eryani, Damien J Zanker, Belinda S Parker, Alexander Swarbrick, Simon Junankar. Dna barcoding reveals ongoing immunoediting of clonal cancer populations during metastatic progression and in response to immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-04-04.

Invisible barcode method base on NDT photoacoustic imaging

The use of barcode technology has spread in many fields since it is cheaper and easier to use. To date, the barcode technology is applied by placing a code on a label surface. This makes access easier but also increases security risks. Security breaches can occur either due to physical damage to the code or code hijacking for inappropriate purposes. This paper reports the development of the subsurface barcode coding method by utilizing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) photoacoustic imaging. Referring to the Rosencwig-Gersho theory, photoacoustics can image the subsurface conditions by adjusting the thermal conductivity length. In this experiment, a number of cavities representing barcodes were embedded in a metal object. The experimental results show that this method can decode the 3-digit Flattermarken code embedded in a 1 mm thick metal object again. The success of this new method is expected to open up more opportunities for barcodes that are more secure and resistant to tampering.

Essential Elements for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) adoption for Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing in Context of Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Framework – A Review

Automatic identification and data collection provides an ideal basis for Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing. The manufacturing sectors, involving a wide spectrum of physical and digital world, are functioning in extremely challenging environment. To optimize production efficiency, the incorporation of automated data collection technologies such as Bar Code and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is essential. Both these technologies have a great overlap in terms of industrial applications and no study reviews the existing literature in this regard. Therefore to cope up this matter, a systematic literature review has been conducted in which the technologies have been studied and compared, followed by the detailed discussion under various contexts of Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Framework. It has been observed that both these technologies have been employed in various manufacturing domains such as lean manufacturing, inventory management and production planning. However, it has been observed that RFID technology carried technological superiority over Bar Code technology. The systems utilizing the former are highly reliable, exquisitely capable and perform excellent in case of automation. However, issues such as high capital costs and increased level of technical complexity are few dilemmas in case of adopting RFID based systems. In addition to that, the implementation of RFID systems is complemented by certain essential features of TOE framework, which can help to elevate competitiveness and efficiency of an organization regarding tracking and identification of assets and inventory.