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The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss some aspects of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, potential applications, and challenges including scientific methods that will help to study the impacts of RFID implementation on businesses.

As an introductory paper, this paper conducts a brief literature review, provides personal reflection on RFID technology, and consolidates expert opinions.

This paper identifies a set of research topics that seem relevant for a large‐scale implementation of RFID systems. It brings up the importance of business impacts as a result of new RFID systems introduced to organizations.

The paper is original in the sense that it combines literature review, personal reflections, and expert opinions to draw a set of research topics that contribute to both acceptance and large‐scale implementation of RFID systems.

Using computer simulation, this paper seeks to model the emergency care process in a hospital and evaluate the effects of some proposed changes to improve patient wait times in the process.

The paper is based upon a case study conducted at the hospital and uses historical data provided by the hospital to simulate the emergency care process.

The simulation results demonstrate that the changes proposed can shorten patient wait times in the emergency care process. The proposed changes involve adding another payment station and a new short‐stay ward in the process. Based upon the results, the paper supports the implementation of the changes proposed.

A couple of limitations are recognized in this paper. First, the simulation does not consider varying the capacity of resources and locations involved in the emergency care process. Second, the simulation does not consider patients by clinical disciplines in which they are treated.

The simulation results show that computer simulation can be an effective decision support tool in modelling the emergency care process and evaluating the effects of changes in the process. The results would be helpful to those who are considering reengineering and improving emergency care or other similar processes in hospitals.

Based upon a case study using real‐world data, this paper extends the line of studies on computer simulation in healthcare by considering not only patient wait times in the emergency care process but also some ways to improve patient wait times and their effects on the process.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a virtualisation model of RFID enabled infrastructure incorporating non‐standard radio frequency identification (RFID) components. The model is implemented as a software service that draws upon other sources of internet services.

In a global supply chain environment, circumstances at different locations may not allow RFID system to be used. Some supply chain members do not have compatible network infrastructure in place. These include RFID frameworks such as China's National Product Codes and Japan's ubiquitous identification which are utilised around the world. There is also a reachability problem for consignments going offsite. The paper introduces a service abstraction layer (SAL) in the RFID architecture to remove dependency on specific RFID framework. From this principle, the paper introduces a new virtual infrastructure that interfaces with emerging identification technologies.

The model bridges the gaps that exist between various RFID standards, as well as utilising various technologies to emulate data capture devices so that the information chain remains intact across the global network. The resulting system significantly reduces the costs of commissioning and operating costs of existing RFID infrastructures.

The new system has been tested in real industry environment with defined scope and coverage. The implication due to full roll out of the technologies in global supply chains still requires further investigation.

Usability of the virtualised RFID infrastructures depends on the cooperation among partners in the supply chain rather than the technology level. New business rules are required when special stakeholders such as customs are included in this virtualised infrastructure.

The concept of virtualisation has been used in operating systems, but its application to supply chain has not been explored before. Introduction of the SAL allows interoperability of systems handling goods tracking events through the supply chain.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an analytical and experimental research for the development of an innovative product designated RFID environment (RFID‐Env). This software is designed for the use of professionals in computer systems and plant engineering who are engaged in research and development (R&D) of ultra high frequency (UHF) passive radio frequency identification (RFID) systems as applied to the management and operation of logistic supply chains.

The RFID‐Env makes it possible to simulate on computer screens a complete RFID‐Env by processing user data on the technical and physical characteristics of real or virtual RFID‐Envs. Information outputted can include descriptions of the performance to be expected from a given configuration and detailed reports as to whether that particular configuration will succeed in reading all the RFID tags flowing through a defined system.

The paper shows the models and methods on how these simulations can be performed, and this is the major scientific contribution of this work, i.e. what are the logical and physical models that enable the development of software simulators for RFID‐Envs.

This work will be continued to introduce more consideration of the physical environment, such as the interferences produced by the tagged products themselves by scattering the radio frequency (RF) signals, and the models, positioning and focusing of the antennas. New RF prediction models shall be created along the continuation of this paper, with the purpose to rise the amount of environments that can be simulated.

The product is intended for use by developers in computer sciences, and by engineers doing R&D for the solution of RFID problems, and makes it possible to simulate a complete range of virtual RFID‐Envs so that R&D can proceed in a non‐factory atmosphere.

There are only a few related papers that consider in an isolated form some of the problems approached here, but it was not found models that proposed as an integrated form all the processing to an RFID‐Env simulation like here presented.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between information systems (IS) integration and business performance in the context of the ad traffic system of a media company.

A system dynamics (SD) model that shows ad traffic system structure was developed and simulation scenarios were examined.

Simulation scenarios identify the dysfunctional effects of the lack of IS integration. The model shows how IS integration problems increase the dynamic complexity of business processes, resulting in poor business performance. It also shows how and why IS integration improvements can lead to superior performance.

Researchers of business process management will benefit from a wider adoption of simulation and SD modeling approaches. The modeling process and model validation are discussed.

SD modeling can help organizations analyze and streamline their business processes through IT, significantly and sustainably improving their business performance.

Modeling the relationship between IS integration and business performance through time.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of radio‐frequency identification (RFID) and sensor technologies to reverse logistics processes. The research is motivated by the question of to what extent the accuracy of information on product quality delivered by such technologies impacts the total recovered value that companies obtain from returned goods in an industry with time‐sensitive products.

The paper first presents a case study to examine the returns management process at a manufacturer of high‐tech consumer electronics. It then develops an analytical model to study the monetary benefits in a scenario with RFID‐enabled product disposition.

The results show that RFID allows for a redesign of the return process that performs more efficiently regarding the total recovered value depending on technology costs (i.e. tag costs) and capabilities (i.e. sufficient sensor‐delivered parameters to rightly infer product quality). Second, the results indicate that maximum benefits can be drawn with lower accuracy but early decision on the disposition option.

This paper compares traditional and RFID‐enabled returns management processes. It provides a model to quantitatively investigate whether RFID and sensor implementation is a feasible and economically viable approach.

The widespread application of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in supply chains is said to cause enormous data volume problems that could render RFID event‐driven supply chains unmanageable. An unbiased and quantitative understanding of the characteristics and extent of these data volume problems is necessary to identify and remove adoption barriers. This paper aims to address the issues.

The paper presents a simulation study based on a real‐world scenario that reveals quantitative characteristics of the data volumes problem in an RFID‐enabled supply chain and discusses its implications.

The results suggest that data volumes will be much lower than currently assumed by practitioners. Thus, this work can be seen as a first basis for eliminating unjustified adoption concerns regarding data volumes complexity. However, it finds that the data volume problems bear still significant challenges for researchers and developers of RFID infrastructures with real‐time decision‐making applications.

The simulation study is based on a single product case study of a retail supply chain in Europe. Since a simulation is always a simplification of the real world, the results need to be interpreted carefully in different contexts. The nature and extent of the problem might vary across different products, industries and geographic regions.

Researchers, end‐users and solution providers might use our paper as a guideline how to approach and quantify the data volume problem in their particular case. Moreover, the result data can be used to benchmark and optimize RFID applications.

This paper is one of the first scholarly works that analyze RFID data volume problems in supply chains with a quantitative methodology.

The paper seeks to propose the concept of sustainable enterprise simulation models. The social, environmental and economic models are developed and simulated using iThink in the context of a warehousing and distribution company.

The paper has leveraged the systems dynamic paradigm to conduct sustainable enterprise modelling and iThink™ system to implement the models. It uses the design science research methodology for the proof of concept of the models and modelling processes. The models have been developed for a logistics management company and tested in the business settings. These models were finalised through a number of revisions and iterations of the design, develop, simulate and test and evaluate.

The paper addresses the interconnectivity between disparate sustainability dimensions for developing the models. The validity and usefulness of the sustainability models for the day‐to‐day decision making has been authenticated by the management of the warehousing organisation.

The paper implements system dynamics concepts of sustainability modelling and produces models of various sustainability dimensions which are original in nature and evolution. While the domain in which sustainable enterprise modelling was carried out was warehousing, the concepts and principles that were explored, developed and validated is applicable across most enterprises.