RFID in the Warehouse: A Literature Analysis (1995-2010) of its Applications, Benefits, Challenges and Future Trends

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been identified as a crucial technology for the modern 21 st century knowledge-based economy. Many businesses started realising RFID to be able to improve their operational efficiency, achieve additional cost savings, and generate opportunities for higher revenues. To investigate how RFID technology has brought an impact to warehousing, a comprehensive analysis of research findings available through leading scientific article databases was conducted. Articles from years 1995 to 2010 were reviewed and analysed according to warehouse operations, RFID application domains, and benefits achieved. This paper presents four discussion topics covering RFID innovation, including its applications, perceived benefits, obstacles to its adoption and future trends. This is aimed at elucidating the current state of RFID in the warehouse and giving insights for the academics to establish new research scope and for the practitioners to evaluate their assessment of adopting RFID in the warehouse.