Article Summaries: 'Examining RFID Applications in Supply Chain Management' and 'Mastering the Three Worlds of Information Technology'

Lately Conner and Martin have been working with “radio frequency identification” (RFID) technology. They have developed a detailed system designed to track inventory items using RFID tags embedded invisibly in products. This technology has numerous inventory

In addition, Metro estimated that with the increased accuracy of the cases shipped to the stores it would greatly reduce if not eliminate the need to send product back to the DC or worse, throw it out. Another beneficiary of the RFID tagging at the case level would be restocking at the stores. Due to the lag between products being received in the stock room in the mornings and the sales floor being restocked at night, the chances that the store would be under stocked were great. Using an RFID reader in conjunction with point of sale data, the store personnel would easily track inventory levels and restock more efficiently. The restocking efficiency was estimated to boost gross sales by .05% which would result in an increase in gross profit of €.05 per additional product sold.

Supply chain management systems, enterprise resource planning systems, and customer relationship management systems are all used at Comcast and are a huge part of the success of the organization. Supply chain management systems are used to track information and inventory across different region markets and nationwide. An automated tracking of inventory allows the movement of products such as modems to be available for a technician on the day of install. By using the just-in-time method it allows the delivery of the product as the customer wants it. Comcast uses an RFID tracking to optimize their supply chain management (“Why the Right”, 2016). This means there is a tag chip which stores the products electronic code so it can be tracked by

RFID systems are currently being used in manufacturing plants to track parts, stay informed of work in progress, reduce product defects, increase throughput, and manage production of given products. Big name retailers such as Best Buy, Metro, Target, Albertson’s, Hewlett Packard, and Wal-Mart are leading the way in implementing RFID systems. These retailers recognize the need to improve inventory efficiency, ensure products are available to customers as needed, decrease theft, and cut down on costs associated with tracking and processing inventory.

The RFID is considered a significant improvement over the conventional barcode, which needs to be read by scanners in "line-of-sight" fashion and can be stripped away if the paper product labels get ripped or damaged. RFID can also facilitate inter-organizational E-commerce initiatives such as continuous replenishment or vendor-managed inventories (Smaros and Holmstrom, 2000).

RFID data is visible and trackable across the supply chain and reduces scanning error, stockouts and the labour required to move inventory (Shin & Eksioglu 2014, p. 633). Importantly, as Concept2creation (n.d.) shows picking and scanning cartons from the cages is labour intensive and requiring audits. Alternatively, RFID transmitters on pallets and cages, can automatically be scanned upon receipt. Cartons without RFID can be placed in totes to be tracked internally (Michel 2014,

Another important fact is supplier involvement with RFID implementation. Walmart’s top 300 suppliers are required to put the tags on products, if they want to conduct business at Walmart. The average cost per tag is less than 20 cents. Supplier’s using the tag’s benefit by communicating immediate information to the retailer and product manufactures giving Walmart the competitive leverage in retail industry by inventory control. RFID implementation benefits the entire logistics operation and supply chain management.

RFID has also been positive in that it helps to make sure that promotional displays are delivered and in place so that products are in Wal-Mart stores and ready for sale when the advertising begins. It shortens the amount of time it takes for new items to make it to store shelves. In fact the process is three times faster than for non-tagged products. RFID also aids in proof of delivery and purchase order reconciliation by providing visibility of product even after it has left the receiving dock. By the end of 2005, more than 200,000 tagged pallets and more than 8.5 million tagged cases had been received and more than 80 million EPC reads had taken place.

RFID, or radio frequency identification, is the new system that is replacing the use of barcodes. RFID tags allow users to more quickly obtain information from the object that the RFID tag

The information for the RFID system is generated when an item leaves the store shelves and is purchased and paid for at the counter. Once the payment is made the RFID system generates the system and sends it to the host system and to some of the other system at the enterprise levels that would require the information to take decisions and to correlate accounts and inventory details. The full details of the transaction data is read by the readers and transferred to the host system which also show the ways it was sold the way the payment was made and at what time the sales was concluded.

The counting of products during arrival can be done simply by using a long range RFID reader. Similarly, the re-checking of products before loading can be done with a RFID. Therefore, the content of the package can be checked without opening it and no need to manually check the details of the products, such as colors and size. Two of these tasks can be completed in a few seconds which reduces man-hours and the minimum involvement of manual labor reduces the opportunity for human errors

This paper introduces the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) in Supply Chain Management (SCM). While RFID has a more prominent number of advantages than its ancestor, the standardized tag, it as of now includes some significant downfalls that numerous organizations still consider restrictive. From one viewpoint, RFID is profitable in light of the fact that it doesn't require line-of-sight scanning, it acts to lessen work levels, upgrades perceivability, and enhances inventory management. On the other hand, RFID is a costly solution, lacking standardization, it has a small number of suppliers creating end-to-end solutions, experiences some unfriendly sending issues, and is blurred by security

modern SCM. How RFID has helped the industries improve their Supply Chain and what are the best practices/examples in today’s industries.

In any industry, new technologies are employed in order to reduce the burden in terms of cost and wastage. This is the sole purpose of Supply chain management. Before selecting or implementing any technology the organization has to verify its feasibility from the starting point to the ending point. RFID has created a wave of speculation as it has dramatically reduced the cost in supply chains as well as rise in rendering unique services. Customers love it when the products delivered are intact in quantity and quality. And organizations can benefit only if the customers are happy and can be retained.

In the process of moving from raw material to getting finished goods to customers, products move around quite a bit. RFID tags use wireless signals and small devices attached to each product. The information is stored and displayed in a convenient location. This technology allows for more effective tracking of products as they move throughout the supply chain, resulting in fewer lost goods and better security (Prance). Tracking products will also allow the company to see how many components and products are wasted. More information about their supply chains will allow companies to make more improvements to their logistics systems.