Critical Management Issues for Implementing RFID in Supply Chain Management

The benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the supply chain are fairly compelling. It has the potential to revolutionise the efficiency, accuracy and security of the supply chain with significant impact on overall profitability. A number of companies are actively involved in testing and adopting this technology. It is estimated that the market for RFID products and services will increase significantly in the next few years. Despite this trend, there are major impediments to RFID adoption in supply chain. While RFID systems have been around for several decades, the technology for supply chain management is still emerging. We describe many of the challenges, setbacks and barriers facing RFID implementations in supply chains, discuss the critical issues for management and offer some suggestions. In the process, we take an in-depth look at cost, technology, standards, privacy and security and business process reengineering related issues surrounding RFID technology in supply chains

Beyond Planning and Mercantilism: An Evaluation of Pakistan’s Growth Strategy

Through the nineties Pakistan remained preoccupied with crisis management. All debate and policy was, as a result, involved with current policy and our coping with the IMF programmes. Adjustment was the main theme leaving little room for growth initiatives.1 A lively debate has raged on the distributional impacts of adjustment policy on which the government and the thinking community have adopted opposing stances, often with much emotion. With this focus of economic and political discussion on critiquing of the current government and its policies, there has been little effort put in understanding and reviewing the country’s growth strategy. This paper attempts to assess the evolution of Pakistan’s long-term growth strategy.2 It is my contention that the growth strategy remains inertia-ridden because of the lack of an academic community and debate.3 The paper will also attempt to identify the actors who influence and shape this strategy. This will be followed by what changes should be made in that strategy, based on more recent developments in economic thinking and experience in the world. For long-run sustained growth that will lead us to join the club of the more advanced countries, a new strategy based on the latest research findings will be needed. Finally, I shall point to the factors that impede the adoption of such a strategy, and especially to our owning such a strategy.Economic Growth

Balancing Human Rights and the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Border Security in Africa

In a continent marked by its historical pursuit of secure borders, Africa now stands at a pivotal juncture, transitioning from traditional physical barriers to harnessing the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. This transformation signifies the continent’s unwavering commitment to efficiency and innovation, yet it unveils a formidable challenge – striking a harmonious balance between the imperative of security and safeguarding of fundamental human rights and freedoms. The integration of AI in border security, with its utilization of biometric data, facial recognition, iris scanning, and more, has given rise to a host of intricate concerns, including ethical considerations such as transparency and accountability. Privacy emerges as a paramount issue as the data reservoirs amassed at border crossings raise questions about storage, accessibility, and potential misuse. The complexities of personal information management take centre stage, necessitating scrutiny over data handling, security, and safeguards against abuse. Through an examination of historical trends and a detailed analysis of past and present border security practices in Africa, this paper reviews the evolution of strategies and challenges in Africa’s border security. This investigation spotlights the continent’s adoption of AI as a cornerstone in safeguarding its borders. However, it underscores that while advancements are evident, a delicate equilibrium must be achieved. This paper argues that achieving a harmonious balance between bolstering security measures and safeguarding individual rights and freedoms, all within the framework of ethical principles is an attainable endeavor

Towards a Responsible AI Metrics Catalogue: A Collection of Metrics for AI Accountability

Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly through the advent of large-scale generative AI (GenAI) models such as Large Language Models (LLMs), has become a transformative element in contemporary technology. While these models have unlocked new possibilities, they simultaneously present significant challenges, such as concerns over data privacy and the propensity to generate misleading or fabricated content. Current frameworks for Responsible AI (RAI) often fall short in providing the granular guidance necessary for tangible application, especially for Accountability-a principle that is pivotal for ensuring transparent and auditable decision-making, bolstering public trust, and meeting increasing regulatory expectations. This study bridges the accountability gap by introducing our effort towards a comprehensive metrics catalogue, formulated through a systematic multivocal literature review (MLR) that integrates findings from both academic and grey literature. Our catalogue delineates process metrics that underpin procedural integrity, resource metrics that provide necessary tools and frameworks, and product metrics that reflect the outputs of AI systems. This tripartite framework is designed to operationalize Accountability in AI, with a special emphasis on addressing the intricacies of GenAI

Closing the Legal-Technical Gap in Digital Trade

As digital trade continues to reshape the global economic landscape, the key objective of this study is to bridge a significant Legal-Technical gap characterized by the discord between rapid technological advancements and slower-evolving legal frameworks. This paper delves into the complexities of this gap and emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to understand and address the multifaceted challenges it presents to businesses, policymakers, and the broader international trading system. This research offers a novel theoretical foundation for exploring and bridging the legal-technical gap in digital trade. Initially, it discusses the integration of legal and technical knowledge systems, which leads to the emergence of specific transdisciplinary knowledge as described by Andrew Sage's Theory of Systems. Subsequently, it explores the acquisition of universal knowledge about these systems through Herman Dooyeweerd's multi-aspectual philosophy. Furthermore, it proposes the development of a transdisciplinary knowledge representation using Fritz Zwicky's Morphological Method. Our analysis reveals that focusing on lingual, social, economic, and aesthetic aspects enables the prioritisation of critical factors essential for enhancing legal-technical functionality

CDC global digital health strategy

Lack of timely, accurate data has long hampered global efforts to combat and prevent disease. The global response to COVID-19 has brought greater attention to these challenges, underscoring the global community\u2019s vulnerability to infectious disease.To better prepare for response to future threats, CDC has launched the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI), to improve the quality, availability, and use of pandemic and response-related data. While DMI\u2019s main focus is domestic, DMI\u2019s principles, products, and impacts will apply globally. The best way to stop diseases from spreading globally is to detect and contain them early, in the countries in which they originate. One way to support this effort is to have accurate and timely data generated by country health systems, as part of routine individual and public health service delivery. Many countries are pursuing this goal under the title of \u201cdigital transformation\u201d or \u201cdigital health\u201d and these efforts are being actively supported by global organizations and other donors.While the application of digital tools to health service delivery has been undertaken for several years in lower- and middle-income countries, large-scale success and uses have been limited. Health systems are complex and constantly adapting. They are composed of chains of many linked services and digitally \u201cfixing\u201d one broken link in a chain of multiple broken links is not going to yield success. In recognition of this complexity, many countries are now taking an \u201centerprise approach\u201d to health systems, looking at the health system more holistically, addressing key issues including digital literacy and data governance, and organizing and allocating resources more effectively across the entire system. This enterprise approach is also being supported by global stakeholders as part of the digital transformation paradigm.The essence of this document then, is a collective roadmap shared by CDC and other global partners, to better align efforts and support countries in deploying enterprise approaches to realize the digital transformation or digital enablement of health services. This will not only benefit incountry health service delivery, reducing morbidity and mortality, but also provide disease experts globally with additional data sources to more effectively combat and control future outbreaks.GDHS_Strategy2022_REV_508.pd

Prioritising Research Agenda For E-Commerce In Malaysia

The recent advent of World Wide Web has changed the traditional marketing paradigm in a dramatic way. Under a computer-mediated marketing framework the operations are no longer controlled by boundaries and time constraints. The new paradigm provides firms the whole wired world as potential market to capture. This is the underlying rationale for the Malaysian e-commerce policy or marketing in a "computer-mediated-environment" in Malaysia. Although, the concept of e-commerce is relatively new in this country, but, it was widely accepted marketing medium among the developed nations. Whether Malaysia is able to reap the benefits of e-commerce largely depends on various factors ranging from the infrastructures, the skill base, the critical mass of internet users, legal policy and so on. Understanding the nature of the relationship and the significance of these factors require a good amount of research in the industry perspectives. This paper attempts to provide some guidelines about the research priorities in marketing of Malaysian produce and products under a computer-mediated-environment; taking into account the local and peculiarities of the firms and consumers' behaviour. In this respect the current paper draws literatures about e-commerce experiences of other countries for the purpose of benchmarking. The preliminary conclusion drawn from these literatures suggest that e-marketing outcomes are major reduction in transaction costs and an increase in productivity; which in turn radically change the traditional market structure, behaviour and performance framework. While it is envisaged that the private sector will take the lead role in the development of e-marketing in Malaysia, the government has a bigger role in ensuring its sustainability. The major research issues in economics and marketing are: the competitiveness of the related industries to allow higher investment in bandwidth and high-technology, integration of physical and online marketing, the economics of network management, characteristics and perception of the community on e-commerce, market and commercial governance, the current and future skill of the community, monitoring the changes in marketing functions and intermediary roles and providing macro indicators to measure the market