Summary Reader Response draft 2 : RFID system

According to Hamadneh et al. (2021), in their article "Uncertain Supply Chain Management The benefits and challenges of RFID technology implementation in supply chain: A case study from the Turkish construction sector.", radio frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that automates data collection and identification which uses electromagnetic fields. The system consists of only three components; a tag that emits signals, a reader to read the signals and a software that stores the data of the tag and object. The tags can exist as passive, active, or battery-assisted passive (BAP), each offering distinct advantages in terms of read range, lifespan, and functionality and the readers can be either fixed or portable (Garcia & Martinez, 2017).

The origins of RFID can be traced back as early as World War II, which was used to identify planes on radar, determining who was friend or foe. However, the first patented RFID technology was claimed in 1973 by an entrepreneur, Charles Walton, for a passive transponder embedded in cards to unlock doors without using keys (Violino, 2005). Now in the modern times of the rapidly evolving landscape of supply chain management, technologies like RFID have become increasingly integral for enhancing visibility, efficiency, and traceability. It has undergone significant advancements, leading to improvements in performance, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. Innovations in tag design, such as printable and flexible tags, have expanded the range of applications across various industries (Wong et al., 2021). Groom et al.(2021) states that RFID is commonly used in retail to keep track of inventory, pets or even people in sporting events. For example, NFC, short range RFID tag, is a popular and efficient method to pay and transfer data in smartphones in the current times.

With its ability to track and manage inventory seamlessly, the RFID technology stands as a transformative force in the modern world, revolutionising industries such as supply chain management and paving the way for a more efficient future.

The integration of RFID technology brings numerous benefits to supply chain stakeholders. Firstly, real-time visibility into inventory, assets, and shipments enables proactive decision-making and responsive supply chain planning (Jones et al., 2019). This leads to improved traceability and visibility of the product, reducing lead times, improved on-time delivery performance, and enhanced customer satisfaction. Not only that, it reduces inaccuracy caused by theft and misplacement or delay in information and ineffective restocking (Sarma et al., 2019). 

Secondly, process automation and data-driven insights derived from RFID-enabled systems streamline operations, reduce labor costs, and minimize errors associated with manual data entry and barcode scanning (Sampath & Puvendran, 2019). It also enhances security and authenticity by enabling anti-counterfeiting measures, product authentication, and tamper-evident packaging (Sarma et al., 2019).Not only that, Casella et al.(2022) claims that RFID tags contain more unique IDs as compared to bar code which can include more data into the system as compared to barcodes.

Lastly, barcode scanners have a greater range of detection however, are less accurate and require the barcodes to be parallel to the scanner to be detected and RFID has gotten cheaper over the years and more space friendly as there is no required distance for the readers to detect and the tags are compact, making them more effective and cost-efficient (Groom et al., 2021). Additionally, advancements in RFID technology, including multi-protocol readers and long-range readers, have enhanced read accuracy and distance capabilities, enabling real-time tracking of assets over larger areas (Lee & Kim, 2020).

Despite its many benefits, RFID technology in supply chain management faces challenges such as interoperability issues, data privacy concerns, and the need for standardization. Interoperability between different RFID systems and protocols remains a challenge, hindering seamless integration and data exchange across supply chain partners (Garcia & Martinez, 2017). Moreover, ensuring the security and privacy of RFID-tagged data is crucial to address concerns related to data breaches and unauthorized access (White et al., 2016).

The initial cost of implementing RFID systems is a lot more hefty than barcodes, as RFID tags and readers are expensive initially (Brown & Miller, 2018).  Looking ahead, addressing these challenges and leveraging emerging trends such as blockchain-enabled RFID systems and edge computing holds promise for further enhancing the capabilities and applications of RFID technology in supply chain management (Wu et al., 2022). According to Michael and McCathie (2005), the signals given out by the tags can be affected by metal and liquid as well, making it very time consuming to determine the most suitable location to place the tag to prevent future issues.

In conclusion, modern RFID technology remains pivotal in revolutionizing supply chain management practices, offering advanced visibility, efficiency, and traceability. With the ongoing advancements, RFID technology continues to serve as a key facilitator for driving operational excellence and gaining a competitive edge in the contemporary business landscape. Nevertheless, tackling challenges related to interoperability, security, and privacy is imperative to unlock the full potential of RFID technology and shape the future of supply chain management.

References

Hamadneh, S., Keskin, E., Alshurideh, M., Al-Masri, Y., & Kurdi, B. (2021). The benefits and challenges of RFID technology implementation in supply chain: A case study from the Turkish construction sector. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 9(4), 1071–1080. http://m.growingscience.com/beta/uscm/5334-samer-hamadneh-elif-keskin-muhammad-alshurideh-yazeed-al-masri-and-barween-kurdi.html

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‌Garcia, R., & Martinez, J. (2017). Cost analysis of RFID implementation in the retail industry: A case study. International Journal of Production Economics, 193, 781-793.

Violino B.(2005, January 16). The History of RFID Technology. RFID JOURNAL; RFID JOURNAL. https://www.rfidjournal.com/the-history-of-rfid-technology

Wong, H. K., et al. (2021). Recent progress in printable RFID technology: A review. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 69(11), 6140-6152.

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Groom, T., Barrios, D., & George, K. (2021). An In-Depth Analysis of RFID Versus Barcode Scanning for Tactile Learning. 2021 IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Computing and Communication Technologies (CONECCT). https://doi.org/10.1109/conecct52877.2021.9622640

Lee, S., & Kim, J. (2020). Performance analysis of RFID systems under various environmental conditions. IEEE Access, 8, 125622-125630.

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Casella, G., Bigliardi, B., & Bottani, E. (2022). The evolution of RFID technology in the logistics field: a review. Procedia Computer Science, 200, 1582–1592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2022.01.359

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‌Sarma, S., et al. (2019). RFID-based anti-counterfeiting techniques: A survey. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 16(3), 1202-1216.

Jones, C., et al. (2019). Real-time asset tracking using RFID technology: A case study in the oil and gas industry. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 22(4), 359-373

White, H., et al. (2016). Privacy concerns and RFID technology: An empirical study of college students’ perceptions. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 398-405.

Wong, H. K., et al. (2021). Recent progress in printable RFID technology: A review. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 69(11), 6140-6152.

Michael, K., & L. McCathie. (2005). The Pros and Cons of RFID in Supply Chain Management. Research Online (University of Wollongong). https://doi.org/10.1109/icmb.2005.103