The quality and effectiveness of decisions made within an organization and its supply chain depend upon the accuracy and timeliness of the information upon which they are based. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that can provide more accurate information in near real time and thus increase the quality and timeliness of decisions based on that information. RFID systems are currently in use in areas such as inventory management, process control, asset tracking and monitoring, and retail point of sale. Organizations which appropriately incorporate RFID into their operations and information management systems have increased their agility, effectiveness, and efficiency resulting in organizational growth and increased profitability. The appropriate utilization of RFID allows organizations to become more agile resulting in their ability to respond to customers more efficiently and effectively. Technology by itself does not result in improvements and RFID is no exception. RFID is not a solution for every problem. However, when coupled with other appropriate technologies to address an appropriate objective, RFID can offer a variety of benefits to businesses. The proper integration into the firm's competitive plans and processes, and the ability to leverage those technologies for competitive advantage results in increased performance for organizations. The intent of this book is to provide a sufficient discussion of RFID to enable readers with no prior knowledge to develop a basic understanding of the technology. The book discusses current applications and specific examples of RFID usage taken from a variety of industries. The appropriate coupling of RFID with other technologies such as GPS, ERP, and robotics is discussed as well as an overview of the RFID implementation process. This book will help readers develop an understanding of the capability of the technology to increase an organization's customer responsiveness.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) is increasing its presence in our personal and business lives—you name it and RFID is likely to be finding its way there. RFID has many advantages over other auto-ID technologies, including its ability to read tags at the item level while the items are still in boxes and pallets and out of line of sight. In addition, RFID tags are reusable, which helps reduce the costs associated with an RFID system. RFID is a technology that can provide decision makers with real-time information to result in better and timelier decisions. It can help increase efficiency, security, and asset control. This second edition contains updated information on the technology and its uses, new and updated examples, and a new case study. This book provides readers with no prior knowledge of RFID with the basics of the technology, guidelines for considering its use, examples of how RFID is being used effectively in a variety of organizations, and guidelines for implementing an RFID system.

The intent of this book is to provide a sufficient discussion of RFID to enable readers with no prior knowledge to develop a basic understanding of the technology. RFID for the Supply Chain and Operations Professional discusses current applications and specific examples of RFID usage taken from a variety of industries. The appropriate coupling of RFID with other technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), IIoT technologies and robotics is discussed as well as an overview of the RFID implementation process. This book will help readers develop an understanding of the capability of the technology to increase an organization’s customer responsiveness. In the third edition, the discussion and examples have been updated to reflect the rapid advancement in RFID technology. A new case study and new examples have been added along with updated discussions and projections about RFID technology.

The quality and effectiveness of decisions made within an organization and its supply chain depend upon the accuracy and timeliness of the information upon which they are based. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that can provide more accurate information in near real time and thus increase the quality and timeliness of decisions based on that information. RFID systems are currently in use in areas such as inventory management, process control, asset tracking and monitoring, and retail point of sale. Organizations which appropriately incorporate RFID into their operations and information management systems have increased their agility, effectiveness, and efficiency resulting in organizational growth and increased profitability. The appropriate utilization of RFID allows organizations to become more agile resulting in their ability to respond to customers more efficiently and effectively. Technology by itself does not result in improvements and RFID is no exception. RFID is not a solution for every problem. However, when coupled with other appropriate technologies to address an appropriate objective, RFID can offer a variety of benefits to businesses. The proper integration into the firm's competitive plans and processes, and the ability to leverage those technologies for competitive advantage results in increased performance for organizations. The intent of this book is to provide a sufficient discussion of RFID to enable readers with no prior knowledge to develop a basic understanding of the technology. The book discusses current applications and specific examples of RFID usage taken from a variety of industries. The appropriate coupling of RFID with other technologies such as GPS, ERP, and robotics is discussed as well as an overview of the RFID implementation process. This book will help readers develop an understanding of the capability of the technology to increase an organization's customer responsiveness.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS WITH RFID Written by the Director of the Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management at Baylor University, RFID in the Supply Chain offers expert insight to help you decide whether, when, and how to use RFID technology to improve supply chain management processes. This informative volume provides a technological overview of RFID and explains the three architecture layers of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) global standards: identify, capture, and exchange. Building consensus for RFID adoption as well as security and privacy concerns are discussed. Real-world case studies illustrate the broad range of RFID applications across industries. A summary of RFID benefits and a look ahead at future implementations conclude this detailed resource. Coverage includes: Technical overview of RFID technology basics and systems components Advantages and limitations of RFID EPC global industry standards Operational, technical, and financial challenges in designing RFID applications RFID security and privacy concerns and solutions Business analytics and building the business case for RFID implementation Improved supply chain visibility Improved asset visibility and capital goods tracking Work-in-progress tracking--managing internal supply chains Library management systems Returnable asset tracking Features 32 case studies of successful RFID implementation at: Gillette * Charles Vogele Group * Intermountain Healthcare * Walter Reed Army Medical Center * AeroScout * Erlangen University Hospital (Germany) * Royal Phillips Electronics * Pro-X Pharmaceuticals * Endware Defense Systems * National Library Board Singapore * Belgian University Library * Rewe Group * and many others

Giving organizations the ability to track, secure, and manage items from the time they are raw materials through the life-cycle of the product, radio frequency identification (RFID) makes internal processes more efficient and improves overall supply chain responsiveness. Helping you bring your organization into the future, RFID in the Supply Ch

Over the last decade Lean and Six Sigma methods and tools have helped organizations improve to historic productivity levels with the data driven, systematic elimination of waste and improvement of flow. Today many organizations have enjoyed the benefits of Lean and Six sigma initiatives, and are looking more to sustain the gains, and aggressively drive a systematic and on-going approach to improvement and problem solving. The concept of diminishing returns applies here, when in the early stages, organizations were able to find "low-hanging fruit" and to quickly make significant improvements. Now the easy work is done, and organizations need a simple yet systematic approach to continuing their continuous improvement efforts. Operations and supply chain leaders will benefit from this book by developing a clear understanding of why and how metric scorecards and dashboards can be used as a powerful data driven improvement tool. This book illustrates visual management, scorecards, and dashboards for a full range of organizations, and focuses on Operations and Supply Chain Management areas. By covering these tools in these environments in a story book format, organization leaders can begin to understand how these methods and tools can be applied in their organizations.