Some Strategic Questions about the Challenges & opportunities of RFID

1. Some Strategic Questions about the Challenges & opportunities of RFID John Murray Professor of Business Studies June 2006

2. My perspective.. • Moderately informed layperson • Not unlike many users and strategic decision makers with regard to RFID investment • The question from the strategist’s viewpoint is does it improve competitive performance?

3. The siren song of new technology… Idiot to Idiot Genius to Idiot Early Adopter - Innovator - Early Majority - Late Majority - Laggards Genius to Genius

4. The strategist’s questions: • Does it enhance current competitive advantage? • Can it recast business strategy to deliver a new & sustainable competitive advantage?

5. 2 2 2 Does RFID deliver demonstrable cost or value improvement? Operations Marketing HRM Finance R&D 1 Efficiency Quality Innovation Customer Responsive -ness

6. & can the value of that improvement be captured - by me? • The difficulty of power based customer mandated adoption • Delay adoption & invest in minimum required to ‘qualify’ • Capture only if embedded in proprietary systems & structures • Therefore selling process, not product • Therefore better not sell-on ‘my solution’ • Successful RFID deployment is a service business

7. Second, can it deliver a new & sustainable competitive advantage? The Vision different better as usual 2006 2011

8. Second, can it deliver a new & sustainable competitive advantage? • Different, not better! • Where, what, remotely - & remote is the prime novelty • Many strategists will believe they know enough where & what already • But: could it, for example, deliver • Radical inventory & WC change? • Step change in flexible/quick response systems? • Real-time, reprogrammable GSCs?

9. Radical inventory & WC change? VARIETY B A INVENTORY

10. PHYSICAL FLOWS Loans, Leasing & Insurance Parts & Repair New Car Dealers Used Car Dealers Car Branders Customer Service Indepen -dent Assem -lers Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 INFORMATION FLOWS Step change in flexible/quick response systems? The 5-Day Car Project?

11. Parts Components Ingredients Assembly Systems Integr’n FMCG Distr’n Retailing Farm inputs Farm Prod’n Consumer Waste Food Service Pkng Real-time, re/self-programmable GSCs?

12. But: two final buts… • Adoption process understanding & management, lead markets, network solutions, limited trial • But what if RFID is “too successful”… can you substitute, cheaper redundancy?

14. Research at the School

15. 2006/11 Momentum 2006 Students Peers Managers Policy makers Research momentum & performance • Global Business Systems • Global Financial Integration • Global Manufacturing • Nonprofit Management • Public Management } Institution Building & Public Management Speaking to: 2002/5 IIIS Partnership • Competitively Funded • Research Momentum • Global Business Systems • Global Financial Integration • Global Manufacturing • Nonprofit Management • Public Management Two Major New Research Programmes / Institutes paralleling National SFI / S&T Investment Programme in New Technology Innovation / Commercialisation & in Services R&D Consolidate & Leverage • Combined Trinity-IMI BizLab Initiative • Combined School & College Initiative • Combined Trinity-IMI-Babson • Research Strategy

16. Performance Performance… • €3.2m competitively funded research work in progress • Highest volume output in Ireland (peer reviewed journals) • 3.2:1 output productivity vs. nearest local competitor • Ranked 53rd worldwide June 2006 by social science research network (SSRN) vs. nearest locals @ 200 & 341 • 85% research active

17. Business & Innovation: Enabling all ‘Major Research Pillars’(3) Deductive Research Global Financial Integration (2) Dynamics of Global Business Systems: Innovation & Transformation(1) Inductive Research Based in Practice Biz Lab Peers Students Policy Building a lasting distinctive advantage from that base…

18. Stitched into College strategy School contribution • Health • Wealth • Wisdom • Confidence • Participation & aligned with University priorities… Enabling Strands College Research Strategy Major Pillars2006-2011 with strengths cutting across pillar areas • Critical mass • Previous investment • National Leadership • International reputation Informatics,Maths, Computation Business & Innovation Trinity Consortium on Ageing Policy • Globalisation IIIS Trinity Foundation • Ireland • Compared HUB/ USSHER • Communications & • Intelligent Systems CTVR • Nano- & • Materials Science CRANN • Immunology • & Infection • Cancer • Neuroscience • Genetics IMM TCIN Emergent Areas

19. For example, one major initiative is theInstitute for International Services Innovation

20. Vision - IISI • Given, the dominant role of services in advanced economies and in some rapidly emerging economies: “largest labour force migration in history” • Given, the central role in sustaining and growing Irish competitiveness and economic & social prosperity • Then, an advanced research centre in international services innovation as a pillar of Irish long run competitiveness holds the potential to be an early mover globally, if not a first mover. • Implementing the Vision = f{human capital; organisation; performance management}

21. Industry & Policy Round Tables Industry & Policy Round Tables Government Industry Global Partners* Short Cycle Output Long Cycle Output Our model… Research Dissemination Practice Innovative strategy Case & Action research Taught Masters Round Table Practitioner Fora Investment decisions Researchers Executive Development Dir of Entrepreneurship Cluster evolution Innovation & Transformation Quantitative & Longitudinal research Publication Training & Development Materials Reshaping the socio-geography of innovation *Institute as a network of Partners in Ireland & at leading centres globally

22. We hope we can work with you to co-create the knowledge we all need to create the future, as well as to manage it.jmurray@tcd.iebrennaml@tcd.iemairead.brady@tcd.ie