RFID in production and service systems: Technology, applications and issues

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology used for identification of objects and information transfer from a distance though radio waves. Different types of RFID tags are used for different applications. Application areas include material handling, supply chain management, manufacturing, product lifecycle management, and a wide range of different systems from healthcare to sports. Object identification standards enable tracking an object in the global range. Although the number of firms adopting RFID technology is continuously increasing, there are still some unresolved issues with RFID systems such as concerns of data reliability, security, privacy, and justification of return on investment. This paper reviews the recent literature on RFID technology, production area applications and issues, and clarifies the future research directions