4
juin 2009 – Wollongong, NSW Australia /
Montreal, QC, Canada
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Abstract
This paper examines the
case of one supply chain in the electricity
sector where RFID technology integrated
with firm’s information systems acts as
an enabler of process optimization. Using
a business process approach and laboratory
simulation, we explain how the implementation
of RFID technology can increase the visibility
of information at various layers of the
supply chain, allowing members to gather
precise information on real demand and improve
replenishment processes. On the other hand,
while RFID technology has the potential
to automate some processes, human intervention
is still required. Therefore, use case scenarios
and sensitivity analysis should be carefully
considered when selecting the proper design
(architecture options) for the virtual and
hardware components of RFID systems. The
choice of the appropriate configuration
needs to be integrated in the firm’s strategies
and supply chain partner’s vision.
1. Introduction
Over the past, RFID technology
(Radio-Frequency Identification) has attracted
the attention of the scientific community.
This increasing interest can be ascertained
through various special issues on the topic
in academic journals such as International
Journal of Production Economics, Production
and Operations Management, IEEE Transactions
on Automation Science and Engineering, International
Journal of Electronic Business and Journal
of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce
Research. Following this trend, this paper
addresses the case of one supply chain in
the electricity sector with emphasis on
internal customers in charge of the power
grid maintenance and operation. The main
objective of the paper is to explain how
RFID technology integrated with firm’s information
systems can act as an enabler of process
optimization and enhance the efficiency
of a supply chain.
Section 2 presents RFID
technology. In section 3, a literature review
is presented with regards to supply chain
optimization integrating RFID technology,
followed in section 4 by an evaluation of
the business value of information technology.
In Section 5, the context of the study is
presented followed in section 6, by the
research design where the business process
approach and laboratory simulation are presented.
In section 7, selected RFID-enabled scenarios
are discussed in terms of process optimization.
Lastly, the conclusion and future research
are presented in section 8. |
