RFID middleware design for enhancing traceability in the supply chain management

Abstract

Inventory tracking is an emerging trend in various industries that can significantly improve asset utilization using real-time information about products location and condition. The adoption of RFID technology in inventory tracking, along with the establishment of upcoming standards, such as the Electronic Product Code (EPC), offers great promise in the supply chain management. Nowadays, a rapidly increasing number of enterprises are collecting a vast amount of RFID data, something that implies the existence of various mechanisms that will capture, filter and aggregate such data and deliver it to applications in the form of events. We propose such an RFID middleware mechanism, which is EPC compliant and introduces novelty by maintaining inventory tracking, even while products are intransit. This property enhances visibility in the supply chain management. © 2007 IEEE.