Deploying a RFID Solution: Practical Case Studies and Business Plan

Abstract

To fully understand the capabilities of RFID, it is helpful to understand its benefits in real business situations. We evaluate the impact of RFID throughout the supply chain, delivering efficiencies for three types of organizations: manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. This report provides case study analysis of RFID solution deployment and related business plan.

The report also provides expert analysis of RFID in practice including an evaluation of the RFID value chain, business process life-cycle, business process strategy, market overview and challenges. RFID middleware providers are profiled with device selection criteria is evaluated. Active RFID vendors and products are profiled and evaluated. The report discusses risk profile assessment and risk assessment services. The report also includes eight case studies for RFID implementation and operation.

RFID Business Plan and Financial Assessment

The report contains a business plan including financial projects and financial assessment with a working Excel spreadsheet. This information will assist with business case development, funding, budgeting, and launch of a RFID solution.

Target Audience

This report is intended for anyone considering launching a RFID-based business, solutions involving RFID, and/or business process automation using RFID.

• RFID hardware, software, and solution vendors and related professional services companies
• Managed services providers, outsourced RFID solutions and application providers, and RFID service bureau operators
• Personnel responsible for automating Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other business processes
• Manufacturers and personnel responsible for management of inventory and materials, timing and control of critical resources, improve Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), and other production line automation and industrial processes
• Healthcare management personnel responsible for tracking patients, staff personnel, equipment, inventory, and other critical resources
• Retailers and personnel responsible for merchandise inventory and ordering processes, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Merchandise tracking and fraud prevention
• Providers of value-added applications and services such as metering, telemetry, telematics, and sensor applications, inventory control and tracking such as merchandise control, asset tracking and recovery such as computing equipment monitoring, tracking parts moving through a manufacturing process, tracking goods in a supply chain, and payment systems
• Providers of RFID middleware such as the VeriSign or Oracle
• Companies interested in optimizing their RFID business process strategies

Table of Contents

(Main Report)

I. Introduction

II. RFID in Practice and Business Benefits

RFID in Practice

Manufacturing

Retail

RFID Business Benefits

Improved Productivity and Cost Avoidance

Reduced Business Risk and Control of Assets

Applications for RFID

III. Understanding the RFID Supply Chain

RFID Solution Scenarios

1. Bikes R Us

2. TeddyCo

IV. RFID Business Process Life cycle

Older Life-Cycle Model Analysis

Waterfall

Incremental

Spiral

Newer Life-Cycle Model Analysis

Adaptive Linear Feedback

Adaptive Dynamic

V. RFID Business Process Strategy

IBM RFID Strategy

Heinz RFID Strategy

Canus RFID Strategy

International Paper RFID Strategy

Kayser-Roth RFID Strategy

Philips Semiconductors RFID Strategy

Intel RFID Strategy

Unilever RFID Strategy

Major Clothier Retailer RFID Strategy

Marks and Spencer RFID Strategy

VI. Market Overview & Challenges

Market Overview

Challenges to Adopting RFID

Software Infrastructure Challenges

RFID Hardware Device challenges

Interoperability and Integration

Performance

VII. RFID Middleware Provider Profiles

Acsis

Axcess

Blue Vector Systems

ConnecTerra

Data Brokers

EPCglobal

Franwell

GlobeRanger

i2 Technologies

Manhattan Associates

OATSystems

Oracle

RF Code

Savi Technology

Sun

T3Ci

TIBCO

VeriSign

webMethods

VIII. RFID Device Selection Criteria for Preparation of Economic Analysis and Feasibility Studies

Evaluation of key questions:

What are the objects to be tagged?

What are the objects made of and how do they affect reading ranges?

What are chip antenna types?

What readers can read both passive and active tags?

What readers can read both RFID tags and bar code labels for easy transitioning?

What are other considerations that could affect externally the optimal location of tags?

How do various entities organize frequency types or ranges?

What other standards are the vendors using for their RFID products?

IX. Market Survey of Active RFID Products

Alien Technology

Axcess Inc.

Escort Memory Systems

Microtec

Samsys

Savi Technology

Wherenet

X. RFID Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment Profile

Internal Asset Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment Services

XI. RFID Implementation Examples

Eight company case studies for RFID implementation

Metro Group: IBM RFID Servers in Early Deployment

Gillette: Redirecting Misplaced Cases

Canus: Tag Speed vs. Quality of Computer Input

International Paper: Automatic Reorders

Unilever: Tag Location for Dishwashing Liquids

Procter & Gamble: Dock Loading Throughput

Marks and Spencer: Item-level Consumer Tracking

XII. Conclusions

XIIV. Adopting RFID: Business Plan/Template w/Financials to Implement RFID

Table of Contents (Business Plan)

1. Company Description

1.1 The Objective

1.2 Keys to Success

1.3 Current Status of the Company

1.3.1 Shareholding Pattern of the Company

1.3.2 Current Financial Status of the Company

1.3.3 Current Development and Engagement Status of "THE DEMO COMPANY"

2. The Leadership Team

3. "THE DEMO COMPANY's Domain of Operation

4. "THE DEMO COMPANY's Offerings

4.1 "THE DEMO COMPANY" Devices

4.2 "THE DEMO COMPANY" Solutions

4.3 Future Product

5. Market Analysis

6. Competitive Analysis

7. Operational Plan

7.1 Location

7.2 Equipments and Devices

7.3 Proposed Team Structure

7.4 Product Development Plan

8. Marketing and Sales Strategies

8.1 Target Market Segment

8.2 Pricing Strategy

8.3 Sales Forecast

9. Financial Plans and Projections

9.1 Important Assumptions

9.2 Sales Plan

9.3 Expenditure Plan

9.4 Projected Monthly Cash Budget for Three Years

Appendix: Current Financial Status of the Company

Sanjay Chatterjee is an expert in ZigBee and Active RFID systems. He has developed Tracking solutions, Message Communication systems, Sensor Networks for environment sensing using ZigBee. He has successfully developed a rapidly deployable, self configurable, self healing Tracking System with Active RFID along with the GUI, and a handheld based active RFID reader/writer using the ZigBee protocol and transceiver.