Myerson J.M. RFID in the Supply Chain: a Guide to Selection and Implementation

Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, 2007. — 452 p. — ISBN: 0849330181, 9780849330186.It was the publisher’s idea that I write RFID in the Supply Chain: A Guide to Selection and Implementation. Not only am I editor of Enterprise Inte- gration System, Second Edition Handbook and author of The Complete Book of Middleware, I also had some innovative business process and project management ideas on improving the effectiveness of integrating enterprise systems with information on product traceability, the scope of which has been widened by the RFID technology mandates. In this book I applied them to both passive and active RFID technology in the supply chain.
This book starts with a discussion on the major paradigm shift in product traceability, which began with transitioning to RFID technology from bar- code technology. This shift has contributed to the ability of the RFID tech- nology to resolve tracking problems in a more effective and faster way, and has resulted in significant economic, operational, technological, and logis- tical impacts on supply chain infrastructures. It moves on to the discussion of economic feasibility of rolling out RFID with a focus on supply chain synchronization, customer privacy issues, security challenges, operational and IT challenges, logistical challenges, program management challenges, education and training, standard implementation challenges, and what les- sons have been learned.
In response to the paradigm shift, the book addresses the RFID business processes (as discussed in Chapter 5) needed to analyze and resolve problems suppliers have faced when dealing with multiple customers, each with a different mandate policy and with their own set of suppliers. The external suppliers may have their own complex set of relationships with the customers. The customers, which both the originating suppliers and external suppliers deal with, may be the same or different. The customers and suppliers may have multiple systems that require the same RFID information.
Many top suppliers implemented RFID infrastructure in response to initial mandates from large customers such as Wal-Mart, the Department of Defense, Target, Albertsons, and Best Buy in the United States, and the METRO Group in Germany. These customers mandated the suppliers pro- vide their own RFID equipment and infrastructure and deliver RFID-tagged cases and pallets of items by January 1, 2005. Other large retailers provided their top suppliers with RFID equipment and technology to help them to get started. Some suppliers who did not receive the mandates or the RFID equipment from their customers decided to invest voluntarily in RFID tech- nology rather than waiting for the second mandates and for opportunities to reap profits from RFID technology later on.