Tatsuya INABA
Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Japan
Networked RFID based
Supply Chain Process Analysis
IOEM2016
Outline
• Background
• EPC Standards
• Assumption
• Proposal
– Process performance analysis – Process anomaly analysis
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
Background
• Business process monitoring/analysis by IT
– IT is used to streamline business process (e.g., purchase order management)
– IT-based business process is monitored/analyzed by IT
• Not popular among processes that deal with real space objects
• Technologies to capture real space info
– Sensor and actuator make IoT (Internet of Things) feasible – Technology to manage “things (without computing power)”
is used in commercial basis
• RFID: Radio Frequency Identification
• Lab level implementation 10 yrs. ago becomes commercial basis
Objective
• Propose supply chain business process analysis methods based on RFID system
– Assume EPCglobal standards for networked RFID system
– Propose business process evaluation tool with agent simulator and RFID data repository system
EPC Standards
• Defacto standards for RFID
– EPCglobal, standardization organization under GS1, standardizes components of RFID system
• Designed for open supply chain
– Standard components are designed based on use cases in open supply chain needs
– Uniqueness and interoperability is guaranteed – EPC（Electronic Product Code）
Company A
Corporate IS
（e.g. WMS, TMS） Middleware
Reader/writer
Company B
Corporate IS
（e.g. WMS, TMS）
Middleware
Reader/writer
RF tag (unique ID)
Registry Service
RFID System RFID System
EPC system Architecture
EPC-IS Repository
EPC-IS Repository
System configuration assumption
EPC-IS Repository
Internet
Factory
HQ
RFID system Warehouse
RFID System Store
…
Event data
Process analysis
Event data
• Item move is captured by RFID system and sent to EPCIS repository as Event data
• Event data is managed by EPCIS repository
• Business process is analyzed by accessing EPCIS repository
EPCIS Repository Schema
• “What, When, Where, and Why” is managed by EPCIS repository schema
Item Desc.
Unique ID
<epc>
Globally unique identifier coded in RF tag.
Goods, returnable transport item and so on. are managed.
Event time
<eventTime>
Time the event is happened.
Location of event
<bizLocation>
Location of the event. Globally unique identifier is also used for this location.
Reason for event
<bizStep>
Reason, meanings for the event. Such as shipping, put-away, receiving.
Proposal (1)
• Business process performance analysis
– Analyze event data timing statistically
– Detect whether each process step is executed in a right timing
EPC-IS Repository
Start
Query event data of pre- defined duration
Analyze event data timing statistically
Problem is detected?
Analysis system
Query Response (batched process)
Y
N
Proposal (2)
• Process anomaly analysis
– Analyze whether items are processed in a right order – Identify anomaly such as operation mistake, item lost,
etc.
EPC-IS Repository
Start
Query events of subjected items Count number of events
in a fixed window time
Miss-match is detected?
Analysis system
(real-time process)
Y
N
Item with error
ID
Event Count
Query Response
Evaluation system
• EPCIS repository system for event data management
– Open source software (Fosstrak[5])
• Agent simulator for business process simulation
– Open source software (RePast Simphony[4])
Network
EPC-IS Repository(Fosstrak)
Agent Simulator (RepastSimphony)
Event data Process analysis
Virtual system Real system
Operation #1
Operation #2
Operation #3 Operation #i Operation #n
Hypothetical process (1)
• Hypothetical assembly process for evaluation
Parameters Settings
Kitting Ave. time 10 sec. and standard deviation 5 sec. operation time.
Number of workers is one.
Moving of assembly
Ave. time 10 sec. and standard deviation 4 sec. operation time. The same worker as kitting process.
Assembly
Ave. time 60 sec. and standard deviation 20 sec. operation time.
Number of workers is two.
Case1-1: FIFO process vs. random item selection Waiting for
kitting Kitting Moving Waiting for
assembly Assembling Waiting for
ship Shipping
picking departing arriving assembling storing shipping
Process performance analysis
– Item selection operation problem
Hours
Process performance analysis – Process deterioration
Hours
Hypothetical process (2)
• Hypothetical assembly process for evaluation
Parameters Settings
Kitting Ave. time 10 sec. and standard deviation 5 sec. operation time.
Number of workers is one.
Moving of assembly
Ave. time 10 sec. and standard deviation 4 sec. operation time. The same worker as kitting process.
Assembly
Ave. time 60 sec. and standard deviation 20 sec. operation time.
Number of workers is two.
Case 2-1: Skip of steps in business process occurs or not Waiting for
kitting Kitting Moving Waiting for
assembly Assembling Waiting for
ship Shipping
picking departing arriving assembling storing shipping
Anomaly analysis
– Process skipping detection
Anomaly analysis
– Lost item detection –
Identify lost items by counting event data
Conclusion
• Proposal of supply chain business process analysis methods
– Process performance analysis – Process anomaly analysis
– EPC system based standardized RFID system
• Proposal of evaluation tool with agent
simulator and real repository implementation
– Easy to deploy by using real repository system implementation
– Evaluation of realistic business process
