RFId technology in the manufacture of customized drainage and piping systems: a case study

Abstract

While Radio Frequency Identification (or RFId) technology has gained significant traction in the downstream operations and industries like retail, adoption upstream of the value-chain has been much slower. Few reported cases of implementations in job-shops exists today for several reasons, key among which is the relative cost of the technology and uncertainties regarding the expected results. In this paper, we present the insights from the evaluation and pre-implementation stage of a project to implement RFId technology in the customized products’ department of a large process manufacturing company in Europe. The case company is an innovation leader in the European pipe and drainage systems’ manufacturing industry. Preliminary findings indicate the need to align RFId implementation with strategic goals to minimize the risk associated with the implementation and increase the chance of success.