Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management environments have always been information-intense for collecting and processing data to determine its capabilities, productivities, delivery performance, and overall competitiveness. This chapter is targeted to the academic and business community and aims to inform and enlighten managers about the use of RFID in the supply chain. The work presented in this chapter is a collection of the past two decades that was sparked by the “big bang” of RFID. The recent RFID research overlaps with the Industry 4.0 technologies in the supply chain. We are at the gates of another technological explosion that will revolutionize the way we manage supply chains. RFID and the convergence of those Industry 4.0 technologies will soon change the landscape of supply chain management. Early RFID Academic interest in RFID generated a fast-growing body of literature. General research topics include RFID technology and applications, benefits, and business value. General research also suggests managerial guidelines and examines implementation challenges. Academic studies of RFID systems are dominated by case studies of big retailers and the path RFID-tagged products follow from distribution center to store shelf. The cases discussed grocery industry use, retail supply chains, and retailer RFID benefits and challenges. Other RFID applications for improving efficiency and effectiveness focused on retail product misplacement, shrinkage control, pull-based replenishment, vendor-managed inventory, and mapping supply networks. The chapter concludes with current concerns regarding RFID in the supply chain, research needs, and a look ahead to where RFID in the supply chain appears to be heading.