Title:
RFID and Data Capture
Technologies in Global Service Supply Chains: Meeting the Information
Management Challenge
Abstract: The adoption of data
capture
technologies such as RFID promises real interactivity and customer
centric
global service supply chains, but simultaneously threatens to overload
companies
already struggling to utilize the data they have currently available.
While
RFID is typically designed and deployed for local and often dyadic use
in
limited circumstances, we argue that novel approaches to information
management
are required to successfully manage the data from sensor-based data
capture
technologies and to integrate them into successful inter-organizational
service
supply networks.
As part of our analysis and discussion we question the degree to which
ICTs
such as RFID as currently deployed support the customer orientation
needed
for successful service operations across supply chains, and identify
difficulties
inherent in current technology use along supply chains and in business
systems.
We argue that customer orientation is needed at all stages of the
supply
chain, and identify the benefits of customer information that is
available
to all supply chain partners in real time, synchronized and updated in
responsive
and customer centric ways. In this context we outline two general
technical
approaches to deal with this challenge. The first involves effective
technical
middleware along with intra- and inter-organizational coordination
capabilities
that help to integrate data flows and information management among the
distributed
systems and partners involved. The second, considerably more
revolutionary
and ambitious in scope, revolves around the idea of a centralized data
clearinghouse,
jointly operated and owned -- or financed -- by all relevant parties
yet
independent of any single partner. Key requirements for such a data
clearinghouse
are outlined, along with a discussion of advantages and disadvantages
of
such a centralized approach.
Authors: Martin R. Fellenz and Mairead Brady