RFID Implementation Research Articles

Radio frequency identification technology: applications, technical challenges and strategies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the technology behind RFID systems, identify the applications of RFID in various industries, and discuss the technical challenges of RFID implementation and the corresponding strategies to overcome those challenges.Design/methodology/approachComprehensive literature review and integration of the findings from literature.FindingsTechnical challenges of RFID implementation include tag cost, standards, tag and reader selection, data management, systems integration and security. The corresponding solution is suggested for each challenge.Research limitations/implicationsA survey type research is needed to validate the results.Practical implicationsThis research offers useful technical guidance for companies which plan to implement RFID and we expect it to provide the motivation for much future research in this area.Originality/valueAs the infancy of RFID applications, few researches have existed to address the technical issues of RFID implementation. Our research filled this gap.

Assessing the Impact of RFID on Return Center Logistics

RFID technology is being widely embraced in the supply chain, by manufacturers, retailers, and logistics firms. Although its advocates include retail giants like Wal-Mart, not everyone is enthusiastic about its benefits. It is not clear whether RFID is a boon or a curse to the supply chain: the growing market size of this technology may just be an issue of compliance. With a view to establishing the real benefits of RFID, we conducted a field study with GENCO, a third party logistics company that deployed RFID at one of its outbound logistics operations with a goal to reducing customer claims. Our analysis found that the RFID implementation had a significant impact on the outbound process: The intensity of claims incidence fell substantially after RFID deployment. After controlling for other factors in our model, we confirm that RFID was a key factor that contributed to the positive outcomes at this return center. The current study underscores the potential of RFID for today's businesses.

RFID implementation not moving fast enough, FDA says

On February 18, 2004, then-FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan declared with certainty that electronic track-and-trace and authentication technologies would be in place by 2007 to protect the U.S. drug supply from counterfeiters. But two years later, FDA’s Acting Commissioner Andrew C. von

An empirical study of RFID implementation in the warehousing industry

PurposeRFID mandates by large retailers and various government agencies made it a requirement for some large organizations to implement RFID technology, while other medium to small organizations are still evaluating the potential costs and benefits of such adoption. This paper examines whether empirical data support the hype on RFID.Design/methodology/approachA survey was sent to Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) members at manufacturing firms, third party warehousing/logistics providers, wholesaler/distributors, and retail firms to determine whether they are implementing RFID technology and what challenges they are facing.FindingsA high percentage of respondents are not currently considering RFID technology. Companies implementing or considering RFID plan to invest a significant amount of money into this technology over the next three years. But a number of concerns still exist and skepticism remains about the potential for RFID to deliver cost savings or a positive ROI in the near future.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to a relatively small sample of WERC members. This study should be replicated in the future, once RFID technology adoption matures.Practical implicationsFor RFID to be widely adopted there must be a better ROI either through cost reduction or improved business processes.Original/valueRFID is not hype and is here to stay. Few companies in the study expected a positive ROI from RFID technology. Their experiences and opinions should be of interest to those researching or considering RFID adoption.

Quantitative performance evaluation of RFID applications in the supply chain of the printing industry

PurposeSeeks to carry out an empirical study to reveal the business characteristics of the printing industry and to accomplish a quantitative analysis of costs and benefits for RFID applications in different logistics activities.Design/methodology/approachThe business operation requirements and RFID acceptance of distinct roles in the printing supply chain are explored via interviews and questionnaires. The printing supply chain is classified into six fundamental models and RFID application scenarios for the six models are also provided.FindingsThe ideal approach for RFID application in the printing supply chain is the item‐tagging mechanism.Practical implicationsThe decision maker can refer to the cost and efficiency look‐up tables to quickly evaluate the feasibility for RFID implementation.Originality/valueThis paper provides useful reference information for enterprises to evaluate the RFID implementation in the supply chain.

Role of Information Technology to Construction the Recycling-based Society

Waste is generated at various stages of human activities. The Japanese government has been making it as a major policy to promote a recycling-based society, fully utilize materials and increase waste recovery. The purpose of this study is to show the role of information technologly in the recycling-base society. Consumer and producer have faced many decision-makings in the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products. We examine the implementation of Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) in the case of post-consumer products. Our simple model shows the implementation of RFID works laborsaving effect in the all lifecycle of products.

Comment

Many large retailers decided to adopt RFID as their new supply chain technology, but RFID adoption by all industries did not spread as rapidly as initially expected. We believe that its benefits constituted the major barrier to its adoption, and argued that a major contributor to the delay has been its inappropriate implementation. Our study reports the result of six in-depth case studies, which, together with case content analysis of 88 reported RFID applications, provided us with a clear view of the RFID implementation landscape, suggesting that organizations often mindlessly adopted RFID applications that were misaligned with their supply chain strategies, leading to unsatisfactory benefits. Insights into how organizations should adopt RFID were developed from our results and were discussed.