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One realizes the fact that the evolution of modern society is based on the development of scientific thought and numerous digital devices that appear due to technological progress. The implementation of these new tools results in a significant reconsideration of the traditional approaches used to perform some important activities. Furthermore, the spheres of modern society which could be considered crucial are impacted by these new alterations most of all as humanity tends to create the most efficient approach to guarantee great incomes combined with increased efficiency.
The sphere of business also belongs to the most important concerns of the modern world and provides a great basis for the further implementation of innovations and further development of technologies. Besides, the last dramatic changes in the given sector evidence the great use of these new approaches and their great popularity. In these regards, many companies benefit from the wide usage of the revolutionary approaches and technologies which change the traditional image of the business world. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) could be considered one of the most important modern inventions as it provides limitless opportunities for increasing organizational, financial, and operational performance (Herschel & Rafferty, 2012).
Several reasons conditioned the appearance, development, and implementation of the given technology. The fact is that the second decade of the 20th century was characterized by the blistering development of new technologies. The WWII served as the powerful stimulus for the evolution of science and conditioned the development of various both military and peaceful sectors of industry. Moreover, the continuous formation of the consumer society also introduced a great need for the significant improvement of the economy and quality of various services provided to customers.
The desire to achieve better results and reduce costs combined with the proven efficiency of new technologies conditioned the reconsideration of the traditional approaches and creation of the new pattern that rested on the opportunities provided by innovations. RFID became one of the tools used to automate numerous processes that previously demanded human interference. The first successful examples of the implementation of RFID evidenced the great potential of the technology and conditioned its blistering development and becoming one of the new trends of the modern business world (Hwag & Rho, 2015). Nowadays, numerous companies all over the world implement RFID into its functioning.
Nevertheless, to prove the advantageous character of RFID and highlight numerous opportunities that appear due to its implementation, the real-life example should be analyzed. Moreover, the detailed design of an implementation plan to incorporate RFID technology as a part of the real-life business model should also be provided. In this regard, YRC Worldwide is chosen as the background for the investigation of the main advantages of RFID technologys usage.
The company is known for its popularity and positive image. It provides shipping of industrial, commercial, and retail goods to several countries across the globe. YRC Worldwide is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. It was founded in 1906.
However, in that period, it was far from its modern image. At the moment, the company is considered one of the main US shipping companies with a stable level of revenues The brand also includes such companies as YRC Freight, YRC Reimer, New Penn, USF Holland and USF Reddaway (YRC Worldwide Corporate Information, n.d.). All these organizations are focused on trucking and delivery of various parcels, cargos, etc. The company has several various facilities and could deliver the cargo to the needed place. Moreover, it also works at the international level, guaranteeing the on-time delivery.
Resting on the companys nature, the efficient delivery process could be taken as the main factor that conditions the companys stable position on the market and provides high revenues. The customers payments are the main sources of income that promote the further evolution of YRC Worldwide and guarantee its existence. It is obvious that the level of revenues is not stable, and its oscillations are conditioned by several factors, such as the popularity of the company, its image, customers buying power, etc. However, the efficiency of the provided services should be taken as the most important aspect that predetermines the further evolution.
Yet, the companys main disbursements come from the usage of numerous facilities needed to guarantee the in-time delivery of a certain cargo and salaries and rewards for members of staff working in various departments. Additionally, a company might also suffer from the human factor that conditions the high risk of mistake. In general, YRC Worldwide could be characterized as a beneficial organization with a clear structure. However, adherence to the outdated practices to deliver and monitor the state of certain parcels or cargos introduces a wide range of possibilities for its further improvement and reorganization.
Before the creation of the implementation plan and initiation of the change process, it is crucial to analyze the companys strong and weak sides to determine the areas which should be reorganized primarily as it will guarantee the immediate results and provide resources for the further usage of RFID and its implementation (Kim, Park, Ahn, & Rho, 2013). Additionally, the precise and efficient analysis of the areas which could benefit from RFID will also help to improve comprehending the major concerns related to YRC Worldwide and its main aspects.
Finally, consideration of the problematic areas results in the appearance of numerous ideas needed to achieve significant improvement and guarantee the success o the whole issue. With this in mind, there are several crucial aspects of YRC Worldwide which should be given special attention. These are the main peculiarities of organizational operations, used facilities and routes, YRC Worldwide image, and the factors that impact the customers attitude to the company, etc. Investigation of these crucial elements will complete the image and help to implement the RFID technology to attain success and improve its functioning.
First, the precise investigation of the main organizational operations used by YRC Worldwide is needed to determine the weaknesses that result from the human factor.
For instance, the company still uses an outdated model that monitors the state of various parcels or cargos. The used software maintains accounting for the number, weight, delivery date, route, etc. However, it does not provide the monitoring of numerous organizational operations and does not reduce the risk of mistakes. At the same time, the company bears losses in case of an emergent situation or another mistake.
Additionally, the process of monitoring itself is not so efficient as it demands several workers whose efficiency might be impacted by many factors starting from tiredness and ending with the lack of competence. Furthermore, there are numerous misunderstandings on the stage of order acceptance that result in the wrong delivery or the usage of the inappropriate facilities. For these reasons, RFID could be implemented to align the monitoring of the main phases of all above-mentioned operations and to automatize the orders acceptance and their further classification as “the technology can potentially improve organizational performance and enable new business models” (Smith, Gleim, Robinson, Kettinger, & Park, 2013, p. 59). It means that the implementation of RFID in terms of the functioning of any company including YRC Worldwide will bring some benefits and condition the rapid growth in incomes
Transportation and usage of various facilities to guarantee the in-time delivery of a certain cargo is another crucial aspect of the companys functioning. At the moment, YRC Worldwide does not use RFID to monitor the state of every parcel and collect information about its current status. The lack of additional information could serve as the reason for customers dissatisfaction. Additionally, the state of certain cargos might suffer because of improper handling. However, the usage of RFID could improve the process of delivery of various goods and guarantee destination for important or expensive cargos (Namen et al., 2014).
The ability to monitor the state of any important parcel, provided by RFID (Herschel & Rafferty, 2012) will improve the companys performance and image. Additionally, there are numerous real-life examples when a certain parcel could not be found at the destination point. RFID could be used to overcome this problem and improve the process of location and monitoring (Mo & Pearson, 2011). Finally, the advantageous character of this technology is conditioned by its ability to read a large number of various vehicles and process a great amount of information that will also help YRC Worldwide to improve this very aspect of its functioning.
YRC Worldwide image is another crucial concern that should be considered while analyzing its functioning and highlighting the areas that could benefit from the implementation of RFID technology. The image of any organization is comprised of many aspects that impact the customers attitude to the company. The analysis of the YRCs image proves the fact that it might benefit from the introduction of the ability to check the status of a certain parcel and obtain additional information about its delivery. Under these conditions, RFID technology could be recommended to improve the main YRCs showings. Yet, there is another important concern related to the usage of RFID and its integration.
The fact is that “many customers have demonstrated concern about the invasion of personal privacy and/or the improper utilization of information” (Smith et al., 2013, p.85) which could result from the usage of the new technology and have the pernicious impact on the companys image. In these regards, the implementation of RFID should be followed by the explanation that the customers privacy will not be disturbed, and they will still be able to preserve some confidential information. Under these conditions, the usage of the new pattern could be considered efficient as it will provide numerous benefits and promote the companys image.
Resting on the data obtained from the precise investigation of the most important YRC Worldwide aspects, the great practical use of the implementation of RFID technology is obvious. The company could benefit from the deep restructuring and reorganization of the traditional approaches. As mentioned above, there are three main areas of change which should be given special attention. Organizational operations, transportation activity, and facilities management, and the companys image could be reconsidered to guarantee the efficient usage of RFID technology. However, several factors should be given special attention while creating an implementation strategy.
The costs of the implementation should not be very high for the company to be able to afford it and switch to the new pattern without any significant financial problems. Furthermore, while considering the implementation plan, it is vital to determine the terms to guarantee the continuous functioning of all restructured departments (Firth, 2015). Finally, the precise plan that describes all stages and procedures needed to implement RFID into the functioning of YRC Worldwide should be presented as it will become the main document describing the peculiarities of this process.
. In these regards, while considering the costs of the project, one should mind the following issues. First, the usage of RFID could result in the reduction of costs spent on outdated approaches and tools. Second, the new organizational pattern will contribute to the significant improvement of the companys outcomes. Third, the given technology should be taken as an integral part of the companys functioning which guarantees its further evolution. In these regards, the new alterations into the structure of the company should be considered the most important investment. It should be accomplished in terms of the available funds.
Considering all these aspects, it is crucial to create a special fund that will be devoted to the main needs which might appear in the course of the implementation of the new procedure. The main prospective spending will be related to the purchase of the new equipment, its implementation, and the setting. Moreover, there should be some additional training to create the competence needed to handle the new technology and understand its main signals. Finally, some extra spending could also be needed to mitigate the negative aftermath of the possible failures resulting from the lack of comprehending of the new mechanisms. In general, it is possible to predict the low level of spending if to consider the possible outcomes.
Highlighting the possible implementation’s terms, one should take into account the YRC Worldwides size and the number of companies that belong to the given brand. As stated above, it includes such companies as YRC Freight, YRC Reimer, New Penn, USF Holland, and USF Reddaway. For these reasons, the terms are conditioned by the progress of all the above-mentioned organizations and their reorganization. Yet, the RFID technology should not be applied to all companies at once as it might hurt the functioning of YRC Worldwide.
However, its implementation should be a gradual process accomplished in terms of a certain company. The given pattern will help to determine the average time needed to reorganize one department and predict the further accomplishment of this task. In general, the reorganization of one highlighted aspect might last from one to several months as several important factors might impact the process. However, the consideration of terms is crucial as it helps to create a clear image of the strategy and accept some new practices in case the time is exceeded.
Finally, having determined all the above-mentioned aspects, it is also crucial to create a detailed and clear plan that will describe all steps needed to implement RFID technology into the functioning of YRC Worldwide and guarantee positive outcomes. Several important areas were chosen for the possible implementation of RFID. These are organizational procedures, transportation and facilities management, and the image of the company.
All these aspects of the company should pass through the implementation procedure and reorganize its functioning by the new pattern. Yet, the possible applications of RFID should also be conditioned by the companys perspectives and its further development. While speaking about the organizational procedures, one should admit the usage of the new technology to accept numerous orders and align their efficient assortment. RFID should be used to label every parcel and trace its state. Furthermore, the given technology could be used to avoid some simple mistakes and mitigate the negative impact of the human factor.
It means that the efficiency of certain procedures related to the distribution of goods and their further delivery will not suffer from the lack of attention. Yet, if to speak about the transportation and facilities management, the stages of the implementation of RFID will imply the creation of the needed basis, constant replacement of the outdated approaches, usage of the new technology to trace all-important cargos movements, precise monitoring of the state of any parcel. Finally, it is also crucial to take into account the impact these actions might have on the companys image. Resting on these facts, the creation of the implementation strategy should imply the precise investigation of all the above-mentioned aspects and result in the creation of an efficient plan that will be able to meet all existing demands.
Assessment is another concern related to the given issue. One should realize the fact that the positive impact of the new approach should be evidenced by certain facts that prove the efficiency of the new strategy and provide the basis for its further implementation. In these regards, the evaluation of the first results is crucial for the whole process. To obtain clear data, it is crucial to record the most important companys showings at different periods.
Besides, a comparison of the efficiency of the company in terms of the new model with the previous data will help to determine the first results and evidence of the great practical utility. Furthermore, it could also help to state whether adherence to the new strategy could help to attain success or not. For these reasons, the creation of an efficient evaluation tool could be considered an important part of the RFID implementation as it helps to obtain credible data and promote the further development of the company.
Additionally, the investigation of customers feedbacks should also be taken as an integral part of the evaluation process as it will help to obtain credible data and analyze the character of new changes. If the majority of clients are satisfied with the new practices introduced due to the usage of RFID technology, the process should be stimulated to achieve better results and guarantee the further usage of the new approaches.
However, if the customers do not appreciate innovations, YRC Worldwide should think about the possible drawbacks of the implementation plan and strategy. Moreover, the negative customers attitude towards the new technology might also evidence the great problems related to the previous image of the company and the lack of trust in relations between these actors. The fact is the usage of RFID is said to guarantee the improvement of the above-mentioned relations and improve the companys image. Traditionally, customers accept innovations and prefer companies that implement innovative technologies. For these reasons, customers evaluation becomes crucial as it helps to obtain additional data.
Finally, the significant shifts triggered by the above-mentioned alterations of the traditional organizational pattern should provide the basis for numerous studies aimed at the precise investigation of the nature of these changes and the determination of the crucial points of this process. The given stage is vital to accomplish the complete evaluation of the implementation of the new technology and obtain the information which will help to create the general pattern that could be used by other companies that also want to reorganize their functioning and use RFID technology to improve their functioning.
Moreover, numerous studies will also condition a better understanding of the crucial aspects of the implementation process and help to create a new and more efficient model that could be applied to achieve the significant improvement of YRC Worldwide showings. For these reasons, the further investigation of the RFID in terms of YRC Worldwide is crucial as it could serve as the guaranty of the companys evolution.
Nevertheless, the efficient functioning of the new technology is also conditioned by the professionalism of workers and the actions performed to guarantee positive outcomes. That is why the companys officials should introduce the monitoring of the functioning of the new system to avoid crucial failures and complex situations (Paydar, Endut, Yahya, & Rahman, 2014). This monitoring will also help to collect the material needed for the above-mentioned investigation of the given tool.
Furthermore, the necessity of the given monitoring is also evidenced by the fact that the usage of the innovative technology is also followed by numerous complications that result from the innovative character of the given tool and the lack of experience related to its usage. However, the stable monitoring system will help to admit minor failures in the functioning of the given tool and provide the data needed to create an efficient solution. These facts prove the essential character of this monitoring system and underline the necessity of its creation.
Altogether, RFID could be considered one of the most popular trends of the modern business world that introduce numerous opportunities to improve efficiency and guarantee stable incomes. Moreover, numerous facts evidence the great practical use of the given technology.
Analyzing YRC Worldwide in terms of the possible applications of the above-mentioned technology, its great practical use should be admitted. There are several important aspects of the companys functioning which could benefit from the adherence to the new practice that implies deep reorganization of the company and implementation of new practices to guarantee the positive results. However, the implementation of the new technology should be followed by the consideration of costs, terms, and the possible outcomes of the usage of this new technology. Only under these conditions, it could guarantee benefits and significant improvement of the companys image.
References
Firth, J. (2015). Communicating behind the scenes: A primer on radio frequency identification (RFID). Mobile Media & Communication, 3(1), 91-105. Web.
Herschel, R., & Rafferty, P. (2012). Understanding RFID Technology within a Business Intelligence Framework. Intelligent Information Management, 4, 407-414. Web.
Hwag, Y., & Rho, J. (2015). Strategic value of RFID for inter-firm supply chain networks. An empirical study from a resource and social capital perspective. Information Development, 32(3), 509-526. Web.
Kim, S., Park, M., Ahn, E., & Rho, J. (2013). Investigating the role of task-technology fit along with attractiveness of alternative technology to utilize RFID system in the organization. Information Development, 31(5), 405-420. Web.
Mo, J., & Pearson, D. (2011). Localization of position using radio frequency identification array. Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 225(5), 675-684. Web.
Namen, A., da Costa, F., Abrunhosa, J., Abrunhosa, G., Tarre, R., & Marques, F. (2014). RFID technology for hazardous waste management and tracking. Waste Management Resources, 32(9), 59-66. Web.
Paydar, S., Endut, I., Yahya, S., & Rahman, S. (2014). Environmental Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt RFID Technology in Retail Industry: An Empirical Study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, 10(1), 13-26. Web.
Smith, J., Gleim, M., Robinson, S., Kettinger, W., Park, S. (2013). Using an Old Dog for New Tricks. A Regulatory Focus Perspective on Consumer Acceptance of RFID Applications. Journal of Service Research, 17(1), 85-101. Web.
YRC Worldwide Corporate Information. (n.d.). Web.
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