A data management system for identifying the traceability of returnable transit items using radio frequency identification portals

The advancement of paradigms such as Industry 4.0 and cyber physical systems herald increased productivity and efficiency for manufacturing businesses through increased capture and communication of data, information and knowledge. However, interpreting the raw data captured by sensing devices into useful information for decision making can be challenging as it often contains errors and uncertainty. This paper specifically investigates the challenges of analysing and interpreting data recorded using Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) portals to monitor the movements of Returnable Transit Items (RTI), such as racks and stillage, within an automotive manufacturing environment. Data was collected over a yearlong pilot study using an RFID portal system installed across two automotive facilities to trace the movement of RTIs between the sites. Based upon the results key sources of errors and uncertainty have been identified and a data management framework is proposed to alleviate these errors.