San Diego

Abstract

The purpose of this MBA project is to conduct a comparative analysis of DoDs policy and perspective on passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in terms of site implementations at the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC), Norfolk, Virginia, Ocean Terminal Division (OTD), and the Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin (DDJC), California. The FISC, Norfolk, OTD, Container Freight Station has been at the forefront of DoD activities implementing passive RFID and is currently using RFID tags to process all shipments except household goods. DDJC is equipped with RFID readers and the required supporting infrastructure, and has been accepting pallets and cases with passive RFID tags since January 2005. DoD is in the midst of a fundamental transformation of its logistics capabilities, and RFID is becoming an integral element of that transformation with the potential to revolutionize the entire supply chain. On July 30, 2004, the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics issued a memorandum delineating the final policy and an extensive plan for RFID implementation within DoD. This project will explain DoDs passive RFID policy and perspective and provide observations from the site implementations. Ultimately, the project will present the cause(s) of compliance variances between the projected plan based on DoD policy and the actual implementations at DoD activities.