RFID systems implementation: a comprehensive framework and a case study

A growing number of organisations around the world are considering the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems to improve their business and operations processes. In this study, a multi-stage implementation framework is developed and evaluated through a case study. The framework provides practitioners with a better understanding of the various stages of the RFID implementation process, including guidelines and issues with RFID systems implementation that need to be considered. We illustrate the viability of this implementation framework through a case study analysis of a textile dyeing and printing mill in China. We hope that the proposed framework will provide practitioners with a holistic perspective of implementing RFID systems.This research was supported in part by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel (HKRITA) under the research grants of Innovation Technology Fund (ITF) and G-U293 of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Thanks are due to all of the personnel from the various departments of the textile dyeing and printing mill in China for providing details of their business workflows, expressing their requirements for a real-time monitoring system, offering expert opinions on generating specific reference data, and providing the test-bed for the proposed system. The authors are grateful to two referees for their constructive comments on earlier versions of this paper