An overview of automatic identification (Auto-Id) in the supply chain

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been in existence for decades.Extensive research, new innovation and initiatives anchored by MIT’s Auto-ID Centre as well as key advancements in the information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, has set the stage for a phased adoption and eventually mass scale embracement of this technology, communally termed as Automatic Identification (Auto-ID).This is further reinforced by the fact that businesses have obtained extensive and concrete evidence that this technology will produce a high return on investment in the short and long term.This paper commences with an introduction to Auto-ID and proceeds to highlight the key forces that are driving the embracement of this technology. It will then discuss the architecture of Auto-ID that enables it to serve as the underpinning infrastructure and mechanism for dynamic information generation.Next, the discussion is framed around the key applications and advantages of Auto-ID within and external to the supply chain.Finally, an explanation on how Auto-ID is bridging the transition to the fourth information revolution is put forward, where through the use of dynamic information, supply chain efficiency will be amplified and organizational agility will be enhanced significantly