Data Architectures for RFID Transactions

We focus on the data models for storing the data generated by radio frequency identification (RFID) transactions and architectures for processing such data. We consider the supply chain comprised of the manufacturer, distributor, retailer, and the consumer. We discuss details of the data generated by RFID transactions and data models to store such data. Different organizations in the supply chain may use this data for different applications such as automatic product ordering, shelf replenishment, and product recall. We present models to anticipate the data requirements generated by RFID transactions and indicate how existing enterprise applications can be adapted to handle RFID data. The results presented in this paper will help a practitioner to 1) design and develop databases and applications for handling RFID data and 2) significantly reduce the storage requirements of RFID data. Using the data architectures, we discuss two supply chain applications-product recall and shelf replenishment-in detail. We present analytical models for the cost and time required for shelf replenishment in a retail store.