Information quality attributes associated with RFID‐derived benefits in the retail supply chain

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to report on research that examined the recent scholarly literature to identify the information quality attributes associated with radio frequency identification (RFID)-based benefits across sectors of the retail supply chain. Design/methodology/approach -Reflecting the recent interest in RFID technology, the literature review was limited to scholarly articles published since the late 1990s when there appears to have been a surge in research and publishing activity. Moreover, the paper uncouples RFID-focused technology findings that are a feature of many previous publications and reports on the decision-making attributes associated with the perceived benefits of adopting the technology. Findings -Many RFID-based benefits were found to be associated with the distribution and transportation sectors of the supply chain, however, an emerging number are also apparent in the retail and post retail domains. The improved information value associated with RFID-derived benefits was embodied in quality attributes that included timeliness, currency, accuracy and completeness. The paper proposes an RFID information value chain that maps benefits and information attributes across the supply chain. The paper is also one of the first that attempts to relate RFID-derived information with aspects of organisational decision making. Research limitations/implications -This study identified information attributes associated with RFID adoption within the retail supply chain that have led to enhanced organisational responsiveness through improved decision-making capabilities. As exploratory research in a nascent and emerging area, this research should be viewed as a starting point in the examination and identification of RFID-derived benefits and information, rather than a prescriptive and/or definitive type of classification system for RFID. Practical implications -Practical examples of RFID-derived benefits distilled from the literature tend to provide important retail supply chain lessons for organisations that are currently piloting or expecting to trial RFID. The study highlights operational and strategic implications of adopting RFID technology discussing them from an information value perspective. Originality/value -The paper is one of the first that examines the information value of RFID-derived benefits across the organisational supply chain. Moreover, both benefits and information attributes are mapped to specific sectors of the retail and distribution supply chain.

Retail in the Digital City

“…Likewise, other pervasive computing technologies show significant promise. Harnessing these technologies to augment the shopping experience has led to the term pervasive retail being coined, and a number of prototype solutions have been documented in the research literature, see for example (Strohbach & Martin, 2011;Kourouthanassis & Roussos, 2003;Yih et al, 2005;Sellitto et al, 2007;Quercia et al, 2011 …”

Semantic-Based RFID Data Management

“…That work constitutes a research prototype of current technological architectures for supply chain management, endorsed by worldwide special interest groups such as the EPCglobal consortium [14]. A further relevant example outlines a retail shopping scenario with RFID technology allowing the consumer to engage in a seamless shopping experience [15].…”

A Comparison of Barcoding and RFID Technologies in Practice

“…RFID is a revolutionary information exchange system that can create an environment in which every object can be automatically recognised, tracked, and traced from factory to shelf only using a single tag on each product item or pallet Lai et al, 2005;Ranky, 2006;Sellitto, Burgess, & Hawking, 2007). An RFID system typically comprises a transceiver, its associated antenna and the transponders (tags) that carry the data.…”