18-04-06 16:55
Age: 2 yrs

BY: MORÁN, HUMBERTO; AYUB, SANA; MCFARLANE, DUNCAN

Determining the impact of Auto-ID implementations on existing procedures and related information systems is a difficult task and requires deep analysis of both the current and Auto-ID-enhanced situation. Auto-ID offers many different implementation possibilities with their respective requirements, advantages and disadvantages, further complicating the impact analysis. This paper applies the “Use Case Approach” (Morán et al, 2003) to determine the impact of using Auto-ID in order to improve inventory visibility on the shelves and in the backroom of a leading retail company in the UK. This industrial study, the first of four of this type developed in the UK, involved numerous interviews with knowledgeable people in this company and some IS suppliers. It also included a thorough application of the aforementioned approach, which consists of: 1. finding representative use cases for process improvement, in terms of current operational procedures, issues, and implementation possibilities; 2. contrasting their associated operational procedures with the proposed ones; and 3. identifying the additional data and transactions required by their related information systems. Although Auto-ID is a disruptive technology, this work concludes that the impact on the retail industry is not significant, thus allowing for incremental adoptions.

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