Patrick Jaska

Is RFID right for your organization or application

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to help managers determine whether RFID is appropriate for their particular organizational needs and to give them some guidelines for implementing an RFID solution.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a general review of RFID and offers instructions to managers who are in a dilemma as to whether RFID is right for their organization or application.Findings – The results of this study provide managers with procedures to follow that will enable them to minimize RFID implementation problems.Practical implications – For practicing managers, these implementation procedures have important implications. As with any technological implementation, the needs of the organization, its personnel, and customers must be at the forefront of the process.Originality/value – This paper offers managers a valuable perspective on the RFID implementation process for their organization.

Effective management of the information technology function

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which line managers in manufacturing companies value six attributes related to business knowledge and competence in their information technology (IT) personnel.Design/methodology/approach – Managers in manufacturing organizations located in the Southwestern United States (USA) were interviewed about their perceptions regarding the IT staff and these six attributes. The methodology utilized in this study is survey research, with personal interviews as the principal method of gathering information.Findings – The results support the importance of these six attributes related to business knowledge and competence in IT personnel to the line managers interviewed.Research limitations/implications – The research was limited to a small number of manufacturing companies. The size of the sample should be increased.Practical implications – For practicing managers, these findings may have important implications. The results of this study indicate that t...

Intercultural supply chain management: an assessment of the field and future outlook

This paper calls attention to the increased importance of intercultural studies in the field of supply chain management and provides an assessment of research and future outlook. Using institutional theory, an organised framework is developed as a road-map for assessing research in intercultural supply chain management. Several recent developments suggest that intercultural supply chain management is likely to play a more important role in charting the strategic direction of the firm. Theoretical contributions of this field on global dimension strategy is emphasised to overcome cultural and national barriers and to meet the accelerating technology dynamics and changes in global economy.

Warehouse Management System Implementation in a Brazilian Distribution Center

Information technology, when used appropriately, becomes an important factor for companies searching for logistics excellence. Among the information systems used to support logistics within the supply chain, Warehouse Management System (WMS) has been implemented by many companies that have complex warehousing operations. This article’s goal is to present a WMS implementation process project in a Distribution Center (DC) of a multinational corporation’s subsidiary located in Brazil that deals with home-care products within a high number of varieties. The introduction of the information system itself is not included in this article. Therefore, its current logistics operation is mapped and the main expected benefits with the WMS are analyzed. The article offers the main lessons learned with this new information system project.