Information models leveraging identification of returnable transport items

Purpose New technology for equipping returnable transport items (RTI) with unique identification (e.g. RFID) give food industry companies new opportunities for improving business processes. The efficient exploitation poses new demands on the information technology systems in general and on the underlying information models in particular. This paper aims to introduce a generic information model where functionality for handling RTIs with unique identification is included. Design/methodology/approach Functional requirements are analysed based on process descriptions and use case examples from a real production environment. Detailed information modelling was then done in several iterations using entity‐relationship diagrams. Validation of the model was done based on use cases typical for the food industry. Findings The model described is developed within the broad scope of looking at opportunities for using wireless technology to improve business processes and traceability. This includes RFID, RF based sensors, sensor networks and real time location system (RTLS). It is vital that these large amounts of data are linked to identifiable entities for later retrieval and analysis. Unique identification of RTIs can be utilised to ensure that sensor data can be linked both to the RTI and to the content of the RTI. The links between the RTI and the content of the RTI are a basis for improving traceability. Research limitations/implications Based on the information model, the next step is to develop a detailed specification for the implementation of the model. The results from the implementation will be used for further evaluation of the model, and might lead to improvements and changes in the model. Practical implications Enabling technologies like RFID often lead to changes in existing processes and systems. This work is a contribution to developing more stable and application‐independent information models in food processing companies. Originality/value The paper shows that leveraging unique identification of returnable transport items to provide a finer meshed granularity and increased operational visibility of traceable units will not only improve traceability but will also give a more precise basis for process improvements and product differentiation in a food business.