RFID opportunities within manufacturing SMEs

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) technology that is used to identify people or objects carrying encoded microchips through the use of radio waves. RFID technologies have been successfully implemented within many large multinational organisations, but research into the successful implementation of RFID systems within Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) is far more limited. An investigation with various FFID systems was conducted at a manufacturing SME to identify the areas in which the implementation of an RFID system would benefit the company through improved efficiency and visibility of the processes and also the accuracy and reliability of real-time data transfer. [Received 8 February 2010; Revised 21 August 2010; Accepted 12 December 2010]