Strategic Importance of RFID – Empirical and Conceptual Insights Strategic Importance of RFID – Empirical and Conceptual Insights

RFID is currently considered a hot topic in the IT arena. It is described as major enabling technology for automated contact less wireless data collection and as an enabler for the real-time enterprise, a future vision of Enterprise Information Systems. But little is known about the perceived strategic importance of RFID among IT decision makers, current RIFD usage and areas of application or companies' intentions to invest in RFID. In this paper we present a research model for analysing the perceived strategic importance of RFID and top IT decision makers' intentions to invest. The research model is applied in a quantitative survey among CIOs in Germany. We verify the research model and present empirical insights on CIOs’ perceptions of RFID regarding its strategic importance, the relevance of RFID compared to other IT topics and their RFID vision for the future of their company. Finally, we develop a conceptual framework to asses, evaluate and implement RFID applications in companies