Simulation for Product Driven Systems

Due to globalisation, companies have to become more and more agile in order to face demand fluctuations and growing customisation needs. Indeed, the mass production market moves to a mass customization one, which could be defined as the production of a wide variety of end products at a low unit cost. During last years, many efforts have been done in order to improve operating system reactivity (with the Flexible Manufacturing initiative for example), but the manufacturing decision process did not really change, and then doesn't enable to fully make the most of these new operating system skills. Facing these new trends, a lot of new research works are focusing on identification technologies, like Auto-ID, biometry or vision ones. Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) represents a quick and safe way to track products, opening the way of linking informational and physical flows, and providing an accurate, real time vision of the shop floor. These new technologies appear like a catalyst to change the fifty years old way of controlling production through traditional MRP² systems

M-health review: joining up healthcare in a wireless world

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health and social care. This trend is bound to continue as providers (whether public or private) strive to deliver better care to more people under conditions of severe budgetary constraint

Conceptualizing Emerging Technology in Local Contexts: An Ethnographic Study of RFID in an Emirate’s Farming Industry

Situated in an emirate’s farming industry, this ethnographic study develops a framework to help bridge the existing knowledge gap about what and how local contexts interact with emerging technology, RFID in particular. Findings suggest that numerous local factors pertaining to the researched emirate’s unique environmental, project, cultural, and societal/political contexts shape and/or are reshaped by RFID implementation. For example, geographic landscape demands systems modification and device adaptation; religious custom increases project difficulty, and the systems, in turn, requires changes in certain religious practice; the notion of social sustainability establishes objectives for RFID project, while the latter helps reshape social welfare systems. As these local factors have rarely been empirically examined, my framework can help contribute to future RFID implementation in different local contexts. More specifically, insights gained urge stakeholders involved to carefully manage unique factors of the emirate or similar contexts for intended RFID projects. The findings also suggest that stakeholders should be aware of RFID’s reshaping effects on the local context particularly because those effects might be unexpected

Utilizing Radiofrequency Identification Technology to Improve Safety and Management of Blood Bank Supply Chains

The importance of efficiency in the supply chain of perishable products, such as the blood products used in transfusion services, cannot be overstated. Many problems can occur, such as the outdating of products, inventory management issues, patient misidentification, and mistransfusion. The purpose of this article was to identify the benefits and barriers associated with radiofrequency identification (RFID) usage in improving the blood bank supply chain. Materials and Methods: The methodology for this study was a qualitative literature review following a systematic approach. The review was limited to sources published from 2000 to 2014 in the English language. Sixty-five sources were found, and 56 were used in this research study. Results: According to the finding of the present study, there are numerous benefits and barriers to RFID utilization in blood bank supply chains. RFID technology offers several benefits with regard to blood bank product management, including decreased transfusion errors, reduction of product loss, and more efficient inventory management. Barriers to RFID implementation include the cost associated with system implementation and patient privacy issues. Conclusions: Implementation of an RFID system can be a significant investment. However, when observing the positive impact that such systems may have on transfusion safety and inventory management, the cost associated with RFID systems can easily be justified. RFID in blood bank inventory management is vital to ensuring efficient product inventory management and positive patient outcomes

RFID Security and Privacy

The European Commission has published in May 2009 a recommendation "on the implementation of privacy and data protection principles in applications supported by radio-frequency identification", which is designed to provide "guidance to Member States on the design and operation of RFID applications in a lawful, ethical and socially and politically acceptable way, respecting the right to privacy and ensuring protection of personal data." This recommendation requires RFID operators to conduct a "Privacy and Data Protection Impact Assessment" before an RFID application is deployed, and make its results available to the competent authority. The RFID recommendation is also designed to promote "information and transparency on RFID use", in particular through the development of "a common European sign developed by European Standardisation Organisations, with the support of concerned stakeholders", designed "to inform individuals of the presence of readers". The RFID PIA (Privacy and Impact Asssessment) process aims to reach several objectives: * to favour "privacy by design" by helping data controllers to address privacy and data protection before a product or service is deployed, * to help data controllers to address privacy and data protection risks in a comprehensive manner. an opportunity to reduce legal uncertainty and avoid loss of trust from consumers, * to help data controllers and data protection authorities to gain more insight into the privacy and data protection aspects of RFID applications. The industry has proposed a RFID PIA framework which classifies a RFID application into 4 possible levels: Level 0 applications, which essentially cover RFID applications that do not process personal data and where tags are only manipulated by users, and which are rightly excluded from conducting a PIA. Level 1 applications cover applications where no personal data is processed, yet tags are carried by individuals. Level 2 applications process personal data but where tags themselves do not contain personal data. Level 3 applications where tags contain personal data. If the RFID application level is determined to be 1 or above, the RFID operator is then required to conduct a four part analysis of the application, with a level of detail that is proportionate to identified privacy and data protection implications. The first part is used to describe the RFID application. The second part allows highlighting control and security measures. The third part addresses user information and rights. The final part of the proposed PIA framework requires the RFID operator to conclude whether or not the RFID application is ready for deployment. As a result of the PIA process, the RFID operator will produce a PIA report that will be made available to the competent authority. For the industry, only levels 2 and 3 are to be submitted to a PIA because it considers that information contained in a tag at level 1 are not personal. However level 1 arises concerns of Article 29 Working Party because tagged items carried by a person contain unique identifiers that could be read remotely. In turn, these unique identifiers could be used to recognize that particular person through time. It raises the possibility that a person will be tracked without his knowledge by a third party. When a unique identifier is associated to a person, it falls in the definition of personal data set forth in Directive 95/46/EC, regardless of the fact that the "social identity" (name, address, etc.) of the person remains unknown (i.e. he is "identifiable" but not necessarily "identified"). Additionally, the unique number contained in a tag can also serve as a means to remotely identify the nature of items carried by a person, which in turn may reveal information about social status, health, or more. Thus, even in those cases where a tag contains solely a number that is unique within a particular context, and no additional personal data, care must be taken to address potential privacy and security issues if this tag is going to be carried by persons. The Working Party has urged the industry to fully address this issue, by clearly mentioning it in the framework as part of a revised risk assessment approach for level 1. This chapter will address the issue of protecting privacy of RFID tag carriers in a privacy by design model which puts them in a position to decide if they accept or not to be tracked at level 1. In case of a negative decision, tags have to be deactivated. Security measures have also to be taken to protect personal information on RFID tags against information leak which could lead to identity theft

Role of Pilot Study in Assessing Viability of New Technology Projects: The Case of RFID in Parking Operations

The use of pilot studies to evaluate the economic justification of technology projects is common in practice. The pilot studies play even greater role in the projects affecting customer interactions with the product/service offerings since perception and/or reaction of customers is captured and analyzed through such studies. Yet, many times the methodology used in these studies lacks rigor and comprehensiveness, and there are scopes for further improvement. The current literature provides limited information on how the pilot studies should be used to decide whether to go ahead with a proposed technology project or not. In this paper we present guidelines for effectively using pilot studies in making such decisions. With the help of a real-life pilot study on deployment of RFID technology in parking operations at a university, we discuss how the proposed guidelines may be implemented to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the proposed project. In recent times RFID technology is getting increasing attention and many organizations are in the process of deploying this technology. The paper offers a timely and cost-effective evaluation study of a particular application of RFID technology. We found that users’ benefits and costs played a crucial role in determining whether the proposed project should go forward or not. Also, we found that intangible benefits and costs to be important. These findings along with our discussions on the general methodology will provide practical guidelines for evaluating viability of technology projects using pilot studies

Smart technologies: Enablers of construction components reuse?

Purpose: The exploitation of smart technologies such as, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) for tracking and archiving the properties of structural components, is an innovative disruption in the construction sector. It could stimulate reuse of construction components, rather than their wastage addressing a serious pressing problem. Methods: This study explores the potential of smart technologies to facilitate construction components reuse, and develops a guidance list for promoting their redistribution back to the supply chain. A preliminary assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the RFID technology is presented in order to depict its current and future potential in promoting construction components’ sustainable lifecycle management, and in capturing and creating value. Results: For both RFID and BIM technologies to operate successfully, the right amount and flow of information at each stage of the design-construction-deconstruction-reuse-disposal process is a prerequisite. Although a number of limitations related to the technical operability and recycling of RFID tags currently withhold its roll-out, technological innovation may provide solutions for the future, enabling it to become mainstream. Conclusions: the use of RFID in the construction sector can create the right conditions for the development of new business models based on the reuse and lifecycle management of components, unlocking multiple technical, environmental, economic, and social benefits. With technological innovation enhancing the capabilities of RFID, and with policy interventions controlling and managing its uptake at all stages of the supply chain, its use as a construction components reuse enabler might soon become realised