Combining RFID Technology and Business Intelligence for Supply Chain Optimization Scenarios for Retail Logistics

Abstract

Radio Frequency Identification" (RFID) and the related EPC standards promise to enable an automatic collection of supply chain data for optimization purposes. While extensive research has been done on applications for operational supply chain optimization, there is still a lack of insight into the requirements and benefits of further processing the data within integrated management support infrastructures (Business Intelligence infrastructures) that allow for sharing, integrating, and analyzing RFID data. This paper discusses respective scenarios which were elicited from a transcontinental retail supply chain case. It addresses data collection and integration on the one hand and the relevance of the enabled analyses on the other. The results indicate that the role of Business Intelligence components should not be underestimated when preparing a business case for RFID.