The Application of RFID in the Life-Time Traceability of Animals

This paper discusses how to use the RFID technology to realize the life-time traceability of animals. In order to record movements of an animal, the authors adapt the electronic pedigree designed for drugs to animals, which acts as standard data elements and is transferred between partners. Then a CIS is proposed based on the methodology which ensures movements of the animal to be recorded correctly. Results in a case study show that the solution can facilitate the life-time traceability of animals. It is reliable, convenient to query, easy to understand and use, and compatible with existing information systems. the pharmaceutical supply chain in order to fight counterfeit drugs. The drug pedigree, which records the sale by a pharmaceutical manufacturer, the acquisition and sale by a wholesaler and final sale to a pharmacy (EPCGlobal, 2007), enables the lifetime traceability of drugs. We borrow this idea and adapt the electronic pedigree designed for drugs to animals. The RFID technology helps read and write the electronic pedigree stored in the RFID tag. The electronic pedigree cannot fulfill the life-time traceability of animals alone. When the animal moves on, new information must be added to the electronic pedigree to reflect its movement. Since information is produced in distributed information systems, so another problem in the life-time traceability of animals is information system integration, which requires DOI: 10.4018/jal.2012010104 International Journal of Applied Logistics, 3(1), 54-65, January-March 2012 55 Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. the development of the collaborative business process model. This paper discusses how to use the RFID technology to realize the life-time traceability of animals, which is organized as the following: first we review the application of the RFID technology in animal identification and tracing and the knowledge about the electronic pedigree. Next after putting forward existing problems, we introduce the electronic pedigree redesigned for animals and the methodology to build the collaborative business process model and develop a CIS (Collaborative Information System) which combines methods of Rajsiri, Lorre, Benaben, and Pingaud (2007) and Chaari, Binnier, Favrel, and Amar (2006). In a case study of the pet’s management, we demonstrate how to use them step by step. Finally, we discuss impacts of our solution and describe our future research direction.