Moreover, RFID technology has proven useful in other respects, such as ensuring the proper temperature of frozen and refrigerated goods in transit and even by facilitating the coordination of emergency supplies during disaster responses on the part of the federal government (Gordon, 2006).
In fact, the ability of RFID to monitor other variables besides geographical location suggests additional valuable applications such as the incorporation into manufacturing processes. For example, (as in the case of transporting refrigerated goods), temperature can be monitored and adjusted automatically, improving the quality and safety of everything from crucial medical supplies to pop tarts.
Furthermore, potential cost savings provided by RFID technology transcend the realm of production and supply chain management. Shippers can monitor compliance on the part of their truckers with speed limits and route restrictions, thereby saving additionally on the cost of insuring their employees and equipment, by virtue of the increased ability that RFID units attached to vehicles allow supervisors and safety administrators to ensure compliance with policies and procedures in addition to statutory restrictions. Beyond lowering the costs of insurance premiums, these applications also produce savings by reducing both the likelihood and the severity of accidents in transit (Chatur, 2006).
Q3. Given the current, rapidly changing logistics environment, to what extent do you think a company can afford to "go it alone" when making choices about managing its inventory and production?
In terms of large, highly competitive industries where one competitor fails to incorporate RFID technology while another does, it is likely that the cost savings difference attributable to RFID use could easily make a substantial difference. In some cases, it could conceivably make the difference between profitability and liability, particularly in industries with low profit margins. To the extent that fuel costs are a factor, the comparative savings offered by RFID system technology in shipping and inventory storage could...
Initially, the largest companies pioneered the adoption of computer technology. Thereafter, computerization quickly became a necessity among competitors within the same industries. Still, many smaller ventures managed their operations without computers, sometimes, simply because business owners to whom computer technology was foreign were skeptical of its value (Higham, 2004).
However, today, virtually every type of business from large industrial manufacturers to sole proprietorships have adjusted to the computer revolution. The current state of the RFID revolution may be approximately where the computer revolution was in the late 1980s. Specifically, most businesses were perfectly able to compete without adopting computerized technology at first. Within a decade after the adoption of computer technology by corporate giants, relatively few businesses in other industries could have remained profitable once their competitors shifted to computers. In all likelihood, that is precisely the situation today with respect to the imminent future of RFID technology throughout modern business operations.
References
Byrne, P.M. (20041). Supply chain RFID: Lessons from a leader; Logistics Management, Vol.43, No. 5, May/04 (31-2).
Byrne, P.M. (20042). RFID: Not just for Wal-Mart anymore; Logistics Management, Vol.43, No. 9, Sep/04 (31-2).
Chatur, a.A. (2006). Driving costs out of the supply chain: Inbound logistics; Infosys.
Gordon, B. (2006). Outsourcing: What's the next big trend? A wave of supply chain governance; Canadian Transportation Logistics, Nov/Dec Vol. 109, No. 11 (75).
Hartman, L.R. (2005). RFID in the consumer goods supply chain. Packaging Digest, Vol. 42, No. 1, Jan/o5 (28-9)
Higham, N. (2004). RFID chips are a gamble that business can't resist. Marketing Week. London, Oct 14/04: (23).
