Implications of RFID in a supply chain: Process, knowledge management and performance

Main objective and motivations. The main objective of the thesis is to evaluate, in the context of supply chain, the impacts of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology on processes, knowledge management and performance. This research differs from previous work by placing a strong emphasis on the impacts of RFID on the acquisition, management, sharing and transfer of knowledge, that are assessed internally (within the organization) and externally (across the supply chain). We also propose that improved knowledge management allows added-intelligence. The above objective is pursued within the specific context of the industrial construction sector. Such a context is interesting because the economic weight of the construction industry is high (in Quebec, one out of 20 jobs) and because the Canadian industrial construction benefited, in 2012, from substantial investments in the order of 86. 9 billion dollars. Moreover, industrial construction represents a knowledge-intensive where engineering firms play a decisive role. Finally, the focus on a supply chain rather than on individual companies corresponds to a heavy trend. We argue that the overall objective of research has some practical relevance. From a theoretical perspective, the thesis is motivated by several factors. First, the number of research articles that target a similar research goal is very limited. Second, knowledge management appears to be critical in the so-called knowledge-based economy where knowledge can be considered as an important production factor. Third, knowledge is an intangible asset that brings sustainable competitive advantages. Fourth, RFID technology raises technological and non-technological issues that are not fully resolved. Methodological strategy. This research is exploratory as it serves to fill the existing theoretical and empirical gaps in the literature. It thus corresponds to the empirical-inductive paradigm and is based on research propositions. More specifically, the field study was conducted in five companies in one supply chain during the construction and post-construction stages within one refinery. The end customer is the owner of the refinery, the contractor is the construction firm and the suppliers and subcontractors are respectively the supplier of raw materials, the manufacturing company of the piping systems, and company responsible for surface preparation and coating of the piping systems. These five companies correspond to the five levels of the supply chain. A total of 57 participants were involved. Observations, semi-structured interviews and analysis of internal and external documents were used as data sources while the focus groups allowed to reach some consensus on key decision points and to validate the empirical data and the results. A consensus was formed to explore the potential of RFID for 1) the supply of piping systems, 2) the manufacturing, painting and installation of these systems in the construction site (the refinery), and 3) the inspection and maintenance of the piping systems after their installation. This represents three different RFID applications, each with its own requirements in terms of technological, organizational and inter-organizational constraints. These three applications are also the three case studies. Main results. Empirical evidence confirms that RFID has indeed a positive influence on business models, whether at improving existing models or at adopting new models. The impact of RFID on collaborative models receives a weaker and mixed support. The adoption of RFID technology in a sector as complex as the industrial construction industry seems promising. Indeed, the empirical results demonstrate that RFID technology has a positive impact on the standardization, integration, improvement and automation of processes. This technology also enhances the acquisition, management, sharing, and transfer of knowledge and adds intelligence at the intra- and inter-organizational levels. Finally, it reduces several inefficiencies and lowers several operational costs. The cross-case analysis has identified additional factors. In particular, we have established that three types of isomorphic pressures or mimetic, coercive and normative, have a differentiated influence depending on the type of RFID application and on firms’ perspective. The compatibility of RFID scenarios with organizational technology competences also proved to be a significant factor. The research limits as well as the main contributions are discussed in the seventh chapter and the thesis concludes with avenues of research.