Evaluation and Justification of an RFID Implementation : Pilot at IKEA Customer Distribution Centre

Abstract: The purpose of this final thesis isto develop a model for justification and evaluation of RFID technology. RFID is a new, relatively untested, technology using radio signals for automatic identification of different objects. Our theoretical frame of references focuses on research about RFID and implementation iss ues, we also conducted case studies and interviews in order to learn about RFID. Most RFID installations of today are Pilots or early adopters wanting to try new technology. A lot of the written sources were reports from consultancy firms or suppliers of technology. Implementing RFID in real environment gave important insights into potentials and limitations of the technology. It proved that it is difficult to achieve sufficient readability in a steel environment. We also learned that one should not underestimate the time for installation and tuning in order to meet higher readability. The project finally resulted in an iterative model for justification and evaluation of RFID technology.