Automating the task of tracking the delivery and receipt of fabricated pipe spools in industrial projects

Piping in industrial projects is a critical and costly process as thousands of unique pipe spools go through design, fabrication, interim processing, delivery, storage, installation and inspection. Current methods for tracking pipe spools through this long supply chain are subject to many problems. This paper evaluates the use of RFID technology as a possible solution to some of these problems through automation of the current tracking process. The technical feasibility of RFID applications is analyzed based on field tests. A model of current tracking process is presented to identify potential economic benefits from using RFID technology in automated tracking. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.