Applying Fuzzy TOPSIS Approach for Evaluating RFID System Suppliers in Healthcare Industry

Abstract

RFID is an emerging technology intends to replace traditional barcode. Compared to barcode, RFID has the practical advantages of improving total product traceability and increasing accuracy. Especially healthcare service is life-critical, so that any careless mistakes may result in reversible loss. Due to the huge demand for automatic identification, many corporations and researchers devoted their efforts in RFID approaches for better achieving their goals. However, since there are various RFID solutions on the markets, it is critical to select the optimal solution to fit the desired scenarios. RFID deployment and implementation require not only technology concern, but also financial investment and user involvement. In this paper, we applied fuzzy TOPSIS to effectively evaluate suitable RFID solution providers. The proposed framework intends to help decision makers better evaluate the important factors affecting RFID implementation, forecasting the probability of a successful RFID project, as well as identifying the actions necessary before implementation. In addition, an experimental case study is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed approach.