Abstract
This research paper focuses on how the emerging technology of radio frequency identification (RFID) can make a lasting and significant contribution to supply chain performance. Any study of supply chains also needs to include an assessment of how processes can be made more efficient as well. As a result of this requirement of the study of supply chains, an overview of the concepts of business process management (BPM) is also included. BPM makes it possible to streamline supply chains and make them more efficient. The paper includes numerous tables and figures.

Table of Contents:
Table of Tables
Table of Figures
Introduction
Literature Survey
Types of RFID Tags
Active RFID Tags
Active Backscatter Tags
Passive Backscatter Tags
Table: The Benefits of RFID Benefits for Supply Chain Partners
Table: Comparing Bar Coding and RFID Technologies
Using RFID to Track Shipments and see how Supply Chains are Performing
Figure: How the DoD is reorganizing its Supply Chain with RFID
Figure: How the DoD made their supply chain more process-based
How the DoD and Wal-Mart Measure Their Supply Chain's Performance
Table: How Market Leaders Measure Supply Chain Performance
Table: Financial Measures of Supply Chain Performance
Figure: How RFID can contribute to total shareholder value
Research Problem Definition for measuring the impact of RFID on Supply Chain Performance
Introducing the RFID Maturity Model
Hypothesis Definition
Figure 4: Proposed RFID Maturity Model
Research Design and Methodology
Supply Chain Research Anticipated Findings
Expected Conclusions
Contributions of Knowledge
Research Limitations
Summary of Proposal

From the Paper
"The DoD, Wal-Mart and many other organizations attaining high levels of supply chain performance as a result of implementing RFID share the common characteristic of measuring results early and often. In fact their entire company cultures are centered on measuring performance, as is the case with General Electric (GE). What's been happening in many of these organizations is the decision to use supply chain-based measures of performance or metrics to quantify the contribution of RFID to their organizations."

Tags:roi, maturity model, financial performance, wal-mart interviewing

Abstract
This paper briefly examines a new technology that has emerged as an identification mechanism and also as an access control medium. It looks at how the radio frequency identification or RFID system as the term implies uses radio frequency that has a transmitter and a receiver and how it uses electromagnetic waves to identify objects, animals or people in a unique manner. The paper also discusses use of RFID in industry.

From the Paper
"In the realm of supply chain or logistics, RFID is used for asset or resource tagging and tracking. Companies can put RFID tags on assets that are lost or stolen often, that are underutilized or that are just hard to locate at the time they are needed. Just about every type of RFID system is used for asset management. (RFIDJI, 2008) When assets are tagged, they not only can be tracked physically but is cyberspace also. The RFID signals can bounce to a receiver and the receiver can be wired to the Internet where information on the RFID-tagged asset can be browsed or tracked online. Like all other technologies, the RFID system has both pros and cons. "

Tags:electromagnetic, waves, reception, transmission

Abstract
The paper explains the fundamentals of the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The paper explores the two types of RFID tags; active and passive. The paper discusses RFID's applications in the supply chain and relates that with the software industry losing approximately forty per cent of its global revenues every year due to counterfeiting and the widespread abuses of music distribution, the use of secure RFID tags seems inevitable.

Outline:
Fundamentals of Radio Frequency Identification
Exploring the type of RFID Tags
RFID's Applications in the Supply Chain

From the Paper
"RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification Code, and is part of the larger Auto-ID technology family, and is a technology that uses radio-frequency waves to transfer data between a reader and a movable item to identify, categorize, track and monitor products. RFID tags are comprised of microchips with antennas that broadcast their status to remote readers. As this technology relies of radio frequencies to communicate, no line of sight is required the movement of products throughout a warehouse is much more efficient."

Tags:technology, tags, microchips, antennas, data, waves

Abstract
The paper defines RFID and its current uses, specifically, its applicability to business functions/applications. The paper considers the limitations and security issues of the RFID and argues that the technology is frequently costly and is not suitable for all contexts. The paper reveals that the RFID EPC global Network has shown itself susceptible to DoS attacks, and there have been concerns expressed that RFID is to easily-read by illicit organizations. However, the paper concludes that it is a technology with a multitude of potentialities.

From the Paper
"The following paper will describe Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). To be more specific, RFID will be defined and its current uses will be enumerated. More significantly, RFID's applicability to business functions/applications will be discussed in the pages that follow; as will become apparent, the RFID is something that businesses are finding increasingly appealing. Last of all, the paper will look at the limitations and security issues of the RFID; with regards to the former, it will be argued that the technology is frequently costly and is not..."

Tags:information, systems, radio

Abstract
This paper explains how radio frequency identification has been both praised as the next step in business evolution and demonized as over complicating and overpricing the supply chain process. The author concludes that while RFID is mostly unreliable, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because most of the negative issues associated with it will probably be eliminated over time as technology evolves.

From the Paper
"Ann R. Thryft (2007) mention four of the most notable challenges in implementing RFID systems in supply chain management: 1) the already mentioned costs involved, particularly for the higher frequencies that are needed; 2) standardization issues in terms of networks and tags; 3) the movement of tag data from the pallet to the item level; and 4) integrating RFID networks into systems already existing. She also however cites official representatives of RFID technology as saying that the new systems are gradually being integrated in large supply chain management endeavors such as those of Toshiba, and that it is simply a matter of time before all the problems mentioned are handled.
"Specifically, one of the challenges is the significant complexity of the system, along with standardization and integration issues. Infrastructure, according to the author, pertains to much more than only the tags and readers that ultimately provides the framework of the system. There are also sensor networks and systems that collect and analyze data. The nature of RFID systems in supply chain management currently operates on the basis of cases and pallets. It is the goal of manufacturers however to provide Ultra-high frequency readers at a level that is viable on a more global scale than is currently the case. What makes them expensive is the fact that they are not commonly manufactured, and also that they are sold in low volumes."

Tags:technology, rfid, barcodes

Abstract
The paper presents a proposal for research of RFID security and relates how this technology might be improved upon. The paper further examines the latest developments in RFID technology including that of GEN 2. The paper states that identity management is a critical issue for RFID technology and until these issues are resolved, the need for better identity management will serve as a barrier for implementation of RFID technology. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Literature review
Summary & Recommendations for Research

From the Paper
"Noted as well in this report is the fact that percent of survey respondents held the number one priority to be national security. It was stated by 56 percent of those participating in the study, all of whom are government IT professionals that they had either "...seen or heard about someone violating their organization or agency's security protocols." (Security Products Magazine, 2008) Watson (2008) states in the work entitled: "Clear Vision: RFID Emerges as Powerful Security Tool" that while RFID security applications "...are easily categorized into tracking personnel and assets, companies are unlikely to find prepackaged RFID solutions from vendors. There is no off-the-shelf RFID..." and furthermore while RFID components have undergone standardization there is no guarantee of RFID component plug-and-play applications. (Watson, 2008; paraphrased) In fact, Ravi Pappu, co-founder and head of the advanced development group for Thing-Magic in Cambridge, Mass states that there is "some black magic that goes on to make an RFID system work."

Tags:radio, technology, frequency, identification, security

Abstract
This paper explains that RFID chips can be attached, often without notice, to all sorts of products, such as clothing and books, and can be use to monitor and control the supply chain in ways similar to the bar code, which the RFID is being developed to replace. The author points out that some examples of the consumer use of the RFID are in a library where the reader need only to walk in front of a shelf and can immediately see on a screen a list of all the books and their contents. For another example, parents in amusement parks can locate their children by putting a RFID on their children and then locating them on a special "kidspotter" map of the park. The paper stresses that, despite the clear advantages of RFID, there is a concern among privacy activists because RFID tags, so small that they can go undetected, can be embedded in any product or article of clothing and even under the skin of a person and then can be used to record information about their activities, tracking anyone with a tag on them.

Table of Contents
History
Beneficial Social Impact
Deleterious Social Impact or Potentially Dangerous Social Impact
Personal Privacy
Information Security
Analysis of Social Impact
Future Impact of the Technology

From the Paper
"While in the 1980's RFID was primarily used for commercial applications, the 1990s saw RFID enter the consumer market. Toll systems throughout the US and Europe became widespread and started gaining major use. Toll systems were adopted by Kansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Maine, and New York, Massachusetts, and quite a few other states. Standardization became a big issue with all these systems, leading to the Title 21 standard and the EZ-Pass Interagency Group, both of which were formed in an effort to provide consistent toll standards in different regions of the US. Payment and access systems were developed, such as the speedpass payment system used by Mobile gas stations, various skipass systems and gated community access setups. Automobile related RFID systems also were implemented in larger scale including remote entry and ignitions systems."

Tags:smart-cards, verification, security, undetected

Abstract
This paper describes the history and uses of radio frequency identification (RFID). The author describes the history of radio frequency identification, especially as used during World War II. The paper further describes practical applications of radio frequency identification today, such as on toll roads and also in moving products to their destinations. The author uses Wal-Mart as an example, and also has several charts to demonstrate how RFID is used in industry. The paper concludes with potential uses for RFID in the future.

Outline:
History of Radio Frequency Identification
Fundamentals of Radio Frequency Identification
Exploring the type of RFID Tags
Active RFID Tags
Active Backscatter Tags
Passive Backscatter Tags
RFID's Future Applications
Figure 1: Comparing RFID Frequencies
Figure 2: Comparing RFID Tags and their Use
Figure 3: Exploring How RFID Works
Figure 4: RFID's Impact on a Manufacturer's Supply Chain
Table 1:
Mass customization manufacturing strategies which can be automated through RFID
Figure 5: Using RFID Technology to streamline the MRO Process
Figure 6: Authentication techniques using RFID to validate products using RFID

From the Paper
"The 1990s were a significant decade for RFID since it saw the widespread deployment of electronic toll collection in the United States according to AIM (2001). From the lessons learned in transportation and the work completed by IBM engineers who developed and patented an ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID system according to RFID Journal (2002) which could be read up to 20 feet away., the foundation for reading tags in motion from a distance was of immediate interest to mass merchandisers including Wal-Mart. The pioneering work IBM had done in UHF RFID was sold off to Intermec when the computer conglomerate encountered financial difficulties in the mid 1990s. Intermec, an industry leader in bar coding and material handling applications, struggled to make the technology a market success. What were missing were data standards and the ability to create Master Data Management repositories that could be queried and used for analysis."

Tags:RFID, radio, frequency, radio, frequency, identification

Abstract
The paper relates that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one of the most widely discussed technological platforms across most industries in today's rapidly evolving business climate. The paper discusses how to some, RFID technological applications are the cure-all to operational inefficiency from the producer to the display shelf, the end to product shrinkage throughout the supply chain, and the marketer's consumer tracking device without equal for enabling more accurate inventory strategies. However, the paper relates that many firms within the retail and foodservice industries such as operators, suppliers, and producers, still tend to shun the technological development related to RFID uses as being cost-inhibitive and too unwieldy for legacy systems to integrate. This paper on RFID technological applications is designed to both dispel misinformation on RFID technological development and to reinforce the awareness that RFID is poised to become a permanent fixture on the technological landscape in most industries. In fact, the paper points out that many researchers reveal that contrary to popular research and opinion, RFID electronic product code (EPC) chips will replace the ubiquitous bar code, in regards to functionality, at some point in the next decade.

From the Paper
"Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one of the most widely discussed technological platforms across most industries in today's rapidly evolving business climate. To some, RFID technological applications are the cure-all to operational inefficiency from the producer to the display shelf, the end to product shrinkage throughout the supply chain, and the marketer's consumer tracking device without equal for enabling more accurate inventory strategies. However, many firms within the retail and foodservice industries such as operators, suppliers, and producers, still..."

Tags:radio, frequency, identification

Abstract
Within the last four years, government contracting has moved to formally mandating supplier use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. This paper examines the character and implications of the change, describes the current process, and suggests that the burden of the change has been placed on smaller suppliers, whose strategic usefulness to DoD may in any case be finished.

From the Paper
Abstract Within the last four years, government contracting has moved to formally mandating supplier use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. This paper examines the character and implications of the change, describes the current process, and suggests that the burden of the change has been placed on smaller suppliers, whose strategic usefulness to DoD may in any case be finished. RFID: A Change in Government Contracting In September, 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) created a version of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) amendment

Tags:rfid, dod, supply