NETWORK: RFID Enabled Supply Chain Management

This proposal is to establish a research Network in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and its applications and diffusion in the supply chains. The network brings together a number of expertise and interest from Universities and industry to explore the research challenges and opportunities in RFID technology and applications. The network will explore a number of key challenges: (1) application of RFID to reduce incidents of empty running to reduce congestion on the roads (2) better and enhanced data storage (and management) capability to deal with huge data deluge that will result from RFID deployment in the supply chains (3) food traceability and integrity as it relates to the need to secure our food from deliberate tampering, contamination and bioterrorism post September 11, 2001 attack (4) RFID-enabled supply chain visibility and capacity allocation or re-allocation on agile and dynamic bases (5) eliminating forecast demand variability and stock outs in pharmaceutical products especially during the lunch of a blockbuster product (6) key business sector applications such as fleet management in road transport industry, baggage handling and asset tracking in ports operations, and asset management and enabling of fast efficient Activity Based Costing (ABC) systems in the healthcare industry. These challenges will be explored by members of the Network with the view to define and take forward new research in RFID-enabled supply chain management.