RFID in the Supply Chain: A Guide to Selection and Implementation (Resource Management) (Hardcover)

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Product Description

Giving organizations the ability to track, secure, and manage items from the time they are raw materials through the  life-cycle of the product, radio frequency identification (RFID) makes internal processes more efficient and improves overall supply chain responsiveness. Helping you bring your organization into the future, RFID in the Supply Chain: A Guide to Selection and Implementation explains RFID technology, its applications in SCM, data storage and retrieval, business processes, operational and implementation problems, risks, security and privacy, facility layout, handling systems and methods, and transportation costs. In short, with its soup-to-nuts coverage, the book ensures that your RFID implementation is successful and that you get the most from your investment.

The book discusses the major paradigm shift in product traceability that began with transitioning to RFID technology from bar code technology. It examines the economic feasibility of rolling out RFID and the challenges in supply chain synchronization, customer privacy, security, operations and IT, logistics, program management, education and training, and implementation, as well as what lessons have been learned. The author addresses the RFID business processes needed to analyze and resolve problems the suppliers face when they deal with multiple customers, each with a different mandate, and with their own set of suppliers.

Going beyond the technology and how it has changed supply chain processes, the book includes selection guidelines and implementation examples, such as speed of tag reads versus quality of computer inputs and optimal tag location. The author discusses the implementation of a business process model and the separate but equal concerns that business and IT executives have about the implementation of RFID applications. The book also covers security, integrated control management linked to the corporate strategy, and laws and regulations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: AUERBACH; 1 edition (November 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849330181
• ISBN-13: 978-0849330186
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,927,564 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where have all the editors gone, April 8, 2008

By	Jens Lippmann (Zürich) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As the language of the book suggests, the author has a vast experience in IT consulting.
Unfortunately, the style and semantics of project deliverables does not work well for a "Guide to selection and Implementation"

First of all, I have a problem with the general structure: 184 pages content, followed by 236 (!) pages appendices. To me this is a collection of ideas and not a book. Any editor should have caught this and send the manuscript straight back.

Worse, didactics are not the strong suit of the author, which is indicated in other reviews of Myerson's publications. Introductory chapters are bloated with confusing details. Project descriptions are randomly distributed to the chapters and information given about the projects is redundant.

Worse yet, the author has collected a lot of details about RFID presumably by researching the web as her references in the book indicate. However, she clearly lacks in-depth comprehension of the subject matter to paint a coherent, comprehensible and comprehensive picture for the reader. Here is just one quotations to illustrate my point:
Page 24: "One of the things the software [Savant Server] does is that it fixes incorrect or duplicate data gathered from readers before it stores and forwards data to any point in the chain." The gory style aside, Savant is an obsolete Webserver, which does nothing but serve pages. Of course one could write code to do implement the functionality mentioned, but why on Savant and not for example on Apache is anyone's guess. The web server is not relevant to the consolidation and forwarding functionality.

As my grandmother said: "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" So I already wrote too much. My only excuse is to warn people from spending 67.96$ and being as disappointed as I have been. The need for a good book on RFID is there, but this ain't it. Perhaps, Auerback Publication considers a total rewrite for the second edition. I'd be there to help. :)