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This paper presents a case study of a hospital operating room that evaluated a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled traceability system for the management of consignment and high value products requiring item level traceability. Results indicate that the traceability system in conjunction with the redesign of replenishment processes facilitates item level traceability, improves financial controls and case costing, upgrades service levels and reduces inventory shrinkage. Other benefits include time saved from non-value-added activities that can be transferred to patient care activities. The solution can be considered (i) as an alternative to RFID-enabled cabinets used in the replenishment of consignment and high value supplies in certain operating rooms, cardiac catheterization laboratories and interventional radiology departments, or (ii) as a complementary solution facilitating the tracking of medical devices removed from RFID-enabled cabinets. In short, the end-to-end traceability of medical products in the healthcare supply chain can be significantly enhanced.

Purpose-To present a case study of a hospital nursing unit that has evaluated and approved a 2bin "e-kanban" replenishment system based on passive HF RFID technology. Design/methodology/approach-The case study analysis is based on both qualitative and quantitative data that was collected using (i) semi-structured interviews, (ii) on-site observations and (iii) experience from previous implementations. The data and simulation analysis presented in this paper were validated by key respondents thereby increasing their reliability. Findings-Results indicate that implementing the e-kanban RFID solution in conjunction with the redesign of the ward floor and of the roles & functions can substantially improve business and operational performance. The most important benefits for the hospital are derived from the time saved from non value-added activities that can be transferred to patient care activities and the significant reduction of on-hand inventory at distributed storage locations. The solution is considered an alternative that requires less initial investment than RFID enabled cabinets used in the replenishment of consignment and high value supplies in operating rooms and cardiac catheterization laboratories. Research limitations/implications-There is a need to conduct further research on RFID Supply Chain Management applications in the healthcare sector as this area holds a great potential for performance improvements. Additionally, there is a need to conduct more in-depth research into the isolated impact of RFID technology in comparison to the change management and process redesign that it generates. One key limitation of this research is the case study approach based on a single case. This paper therefore provides direction for practitioners on how to assess RFID's potential impact in the healthcare supply chain Originality/value-While most of the research on RFID in healthcare sector focuses on active RFID technology for asset management, this research presents a novel RFID application and contributes to our understanding of RFID's potential in intra-organizational Supply Chain Management processes.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to understand why a collaborative innovation, such as radio‐frequency identification (RFID) technology, engenders seemingly opposite buyer‐seller relationship reactions among members of a supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers carried out a three year exploratory multiple case study using the grounded theory approach through participant‐observation and collaborative action research. The research project culminated in a fully functional RFID proof of concept solution which involved multiple layers of a retail supply chain. The researchers chose the retail industry for the study because it provided the ideal conditions to answer the research question.FindingsThe results highlight the role of supplier‐buyer relationships as both crucial antecedents that shape RFID infrastructure and the consequence of RFID implementation. Specifically, the impact on and of eight key dimensions was considered, namely communication and information sharing, cooperation, trust, commitment, relationship value, power imbalance and interdependence, adaptation, and conflict. The paper also positions open‐loop RFID projects as supply chain inter‐organizational systems and presents a model to analyze such initiatives.Research limitations/implicationsThe choice of methodology has provided the insight necessary to answer the research question. Other researchers are encouraged to validate these findings through replication with other case studies or through quantitative data to reach analytical and statistical generalizability. The authors also encourage future research on this topic in other industries.Originality/valueAs more supply chains move forward with collaborative RFID initiatives, it is important that these companies be aware of the strategic role of supplier‐buyer relationships as both crucial antecedents that shape RFID infrastructure and a consequence of RFID implementation.