Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: RFID technology may be the most capable technology to address the track and trace requirements within the Agri-food supply chain. RFID technology has become a prominent research area in recent times, with multiple benefits being promised and envisaged. The list of applications and deployments within the supply chain is numerous, with the ambassadors of this technology promising increased supply chain effectiveness, inventory management capabilities and enhanced information visibility. Deregulations within the South African citrus industry created changes to the internal structure of the industry, with the requirements of enhanced information visibility for traceability becoming a high priority. Current information structures and initiatives are providing the basic requirements for the changing business environment, with limitations to real-time and visible information for improved decision-making and planning initiatives. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify the critical success factors for RFID technology deployment in supply chains in general and to identify the critical success factors relevant to the South African citrus industry. The study also researched the benefits and challenges of deploying RFID technology within the South African citrus industry, relating to citrus supply chain performance improvements of RFID adoption. The research indicates that certain limitations and challenges pertinent to the citrus industry exist, which would require industry level priority for successful implementation of RFID technology within the South African citrus industry. This study provides the South African citrus industry with a guideline to address the current non-collective management of information, information systems and requirements and collaboration initiatives. The use of this research should be of great assistance to the South African citrus industry role-players by providing a strategic framework for addressing information improvement initiatives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: RFID tegnologie kan moontlik die mees bevoegde tegnologie wees om die naspeurbaarheid vereistes van n Agri-voedsel voorsiening ketting aan te spreek. RFID tegnologie is huidiglik 'n prominente navorsingsgebied, met beloofde meervoudige voordele. Die lys van aanwendings en toepassings binne die voorsiening ketting is veelvoudig, met beloftes van die ambassadeurs van die tegnologie, vir verbeterde voorsienings ketting doeltreffendheid, inventaris bestuur en verhoogde inligtings sigbaarheid. Deregulasie van die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie het interne strukturuele veranderinge in die industrie teweeg gebring, met prioriteit fokus vir verhoogde inligting sigbaarheid vir naspeurbaarheid doeleindes. Huidige inligting strukture en initiatiewe verskaf die basiese grondslag vir die deurlopende veranderende besigheids omgewing, met intyd en sigbaarheids inligtings beperkinge, vir verbeterde besluitneming en beplanning initiatiewe. Die doel van die ondersoekende studies was om die generiese kritieke sukses faktore van RFID tegnologie implementering en die kritieke sukses faktore direk verwant tot die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie te identifiseer. Die studie het ook die voordele en uitdagings van RFID implementering binne die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie nagevors, spesifiek verwant tot die prestasie verbeterings van RFID implementering in die sitrus voorsienings ketting. Die navorsing dui aan dat sekere beperkinge en uitdagings spesifiek tot die sitrus industrie bestaan wat industrie vlak prioriteit vereis, vir suksevolle implementasie van RFID tegnologie binne die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie. Die resultate van die studie verskaf die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie met 'n riglyn om die uitdagings van die huidige nie-kollektiewe bestuur van inligting, inligting stelsels en vereistes en samewerkings initiatiewe aan te spreek. Die gebruik van die navorsing behoort van groot waarde te wees vir die rolspelers van die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie, in die verskaffing van 'n strategiese raamwerk vir die aanspreking van inligting verbeterings intiatiewe.

<p>In this thesis, design and realization of a system which enables precise positioning of RFID tags in both azimuth and elevation angles is explained. The positioning is based on measuring the phase difference between four Yagi antennas placed in two arrays. One array is placed in the azimuth plane and the other array is perpendicular to the first array in the elevation plane. The phase difference of the signals received from the antennas in the azimuth array is used to find the position of RFID tag in the horizontal direction. For the position in the vertical direction, the phase difference of the signals received from the antennas in the elevation plane is used. After that the position of tag in horizontal and vertical directions is used to control the mouse cursor in the horizontal and vertical directions on the computer screen. In this way by attaching one RFID tag to a plastic rod, a wireless pen is implemented which enables drawing in the air by using a program like Paint in Windows. Simulated results show that the resolution of the tag positioning in the system is in the order of 3mm in a distance equal to 0.5 meter in front of the array with few number of averaging over the received phase data. Using the system in practice reveals that it is easily possible to write and draw with this RFID pen. In addition it is argued how the system is totally immune to any counterfeit attempt for faked drawings by randomly changing the transmitting antenna in the array. This will make the system a novel option for human identity verification.</p> / QC 20100920

The performance of commercial Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags is primarily limited by present techniques used for tag antenna design. Currently, industry techniques rely on identifying the RFID tag application (books, clothing, etc.) and then building antenna prototypes of different configurations in order to satisfy minimum read range requirements. However, these techniques inherently lack an electromagnetic basis and are unable to provide a low cost solution to the tag antenna design process. RFID tag performance characteristics (read-range, chip-antenna impedance matching, surrounding environment) can be very complex, and a thorough understanding of the RFID tag antenna design may be gained through an electromagnetic approach in order to reduce the tag antenna size and the overall cost of the RFID system. The research presented in this thesis addresses RFID tag antenna design process for passive RFID tags. With the growing number of applications (inventory, supply-chain, pharmaceuticals, etc), the proposed RFID antenna design process demonstrates procedures to design tag antennas for such applications. Electrical/geometrical properties of the antennas designed were investigated with the help of computer electromagnetic simulations in order to achieve optimal tag performance criteria such as read range, chip-impedance matching, antenna efficiency, etc. Experimental results were performed on the proposed antenna designs to compliment computer simulations and analytical modelling.

Esta dissertação propõe um modelo tecnológico de automação para realização de pesquisas no setor do transporte público, com o objetivo de contribuir para o aprimoramento da coleta de dados, avaliação e manutenção da qualidade dos serviços prestados à população. O trabalho justifica-se pela necessidade de superação de lacunas existentes para obtenção de informações, o que repercute na gestão do sistema de transporte público como um todo. Devido à relevância crescente do tema da mobilidade urbana e os impactos que provoca na qualidade de vida das pessoas, o objeto de estudo escolhido foram os deslocamentos dos passageiros por meio do uso de ônibus na cidade de São Paulo. O modelo proposto integra a tecnologia de identificação por radiofrequência (RFID - Radio Frequency IDentification), em cartões inteligentes, utilizados atualmente para pagar a tarifa, com tecnologias de rastreamento da frota, que, por meio de GPS (Global Position Systems), fornecem informações sobre os locais de circulação dos ônibus. Os resultados obtidos mostram que esta integração pode resolver os problemas da falta de precisão no levantamento de dados sobre os locais onde são iniciadas e finalizadas as viagens de passageiros, bem como tornar sistemáticos os levantamentos de tais dados, sem necessidade de pesquisas manuais, o que representa economia de recursos. Constitui uma proposta inovadora com grande utilidade para ampliar as condições que favorecem a mobilidade urbana e é convergente no desenvolvimento de cidades inteligentes. / This dissertation proposes a technological model for automation for conducting surveys in the public transport sector, in order to contribute to the improvement of data collection, evaluation and maintenance of quality of services rendered to the population. The work is justified by the need to overcome gaps for obtaining information, which affects the management of the public transport system as a whole. Due to the increasing relevance of the issue of urban mobility and its impact on quality of life, the chosen object of study were the passenger movements through the bus use in the city of São Paulo. The proposed model integrates the radio frequency identification technology - RFID, on smart cards currently used to pay the fare, with fleet tracking technologies, which, through GPS (Global Position Systems), provide information on the bus traffic locations. The results show that this integration can solve the problems of lack of precision in data about where passenger trips are initiated and completed as well as make systematic withdrawals of such data without the need for manual searches, saving features. It is an innovative proposal with great use to expand the conditions that improve urban mobility and is convergent to the development of smart cities.

This collection of essays examines the topic of macroeconomic stabilisation in an international context, focusing on monetary policy, capital controls and exchange rates. Chapter 1, written in collaboration with Giancarlo Corsetti and Joao Duarte, reconsiders the effects of common monetary policy shocks across countries in the euro area, using a data-rich factor model and identifying shocks with high-frequency surprises around policy announcements. We show that the degree of heterogeneity in the response to shocks, while being low in financial variables and output, is significant in consumption, consumer prices and macro variables related to the labour and housing markets. Mirroring country-specific institutional and market differences, we find that home ownership rates are significantly correlated with the strength of the housing channel in monetary policy transmission. We document a high dispersion in the response to shocks of house prices and rents and show that, similar to responses in the US, these variables tend to move in different directions. In Chapter 2, I build a two-country, two-good model to examine the welfare effects of capital controls, finding that under certain circumstances, a shut-down in asset trade can be a Pareto improvement. Further, I examine the robustness of the result to parameter changes, explore a wider set of policy instruments and confront computational issues in this class of international macroeconomic models. I document that within an empirically relevant parameter span for the trade elasticity, the gains from capital controls might be significantly larger than suggested by previous contributions. Moreover, I establish that a refined form of capital controls in the shape of taxes and tariffs cannot improve upon the outcome under financial autarky. Finally, results show that the conjunction of pruning methods and endogenous discount factors can remove explosive behaviour from this class of models and restore equilibrating properties. In Chapter 3, I use a panel of 20 emerging market currencies to assess whether a model that combines fundamental and non-fundamental exchange rate forecasting approaches can successfully predict risk premia (i.e. currency excess returns) over the short horizon. In doing so, I aim to overcome three main shortcomings of earlier research: i) Sensitivity to the chosen sample period; ii) seemingly arbitrary selection of explanatory variables that differs from currency to currency; and iii) difficulty in interpreting forecasts beyond the numerical signal. Based on a theoretical model of currency risk premia, I use real exchange rate strength combined with indicators for carry, momentum and economic sentiment to homogeneously forecast risk premia across all 20 currencies in the sample at a monthly frequency. In doing so, the model remains largely agnostic about structural choices, keeping arbitrarily imposed restrictions to a minimum. Results from portfolio construction suggest that returns are significant and robust both across currencies as well as over time, with Sharpe Ratios in out-of-sample tests above 0.7.

Submitted by Nara Lays Domingues Viana Oliveira (naradv) on 2015-06-12T17:36:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ElianeGomesCostaAdministracao.pdf: 6307159 bytes, checksum: 7c64be2192bcfc1420975c21d6536781 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-12T17:36:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ElianeGomesCostaAdministracao.pdf: 6307159 bytes, checksum: 7c64be2192bcfc1420975c21d6536781 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Nenhuma / O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a utilização das Tecnologias da Informação Móveis e Sem Fio (TIMS) nos diferentes elos da cadeia bovina do estado de Goiás, bem como identificar os desafios e oportunidades para o uso dessas tecnologias no contexto pesquisado. O método utilizado foi o de estudo de caso único, tendo como unidade de análise a cadeia da pecuária de corte do estado de Goiás. A pesquisa ocorreu em duas etapas, uma exploratória e outra descritiva. Na etapa exploratória buscou-se familiaridade com o tema por meio de análise de estudos já publicados e pela realização de oito (8) entrevistas semiestruturas com representantes das entidades de classe, certificadoras e fornecedores de TIMS. Na etapa descritiva realizou-se treze (13) entrevistas semi-estruturadas com representantes de onze empresas pertencentes aos elos (cria, recria, engorda, frigorífico e trader) da cadeia para compreender o processo de adoção ou não das TIMS. A análise dos resultados aponta que o frigorífico é o elo mais forte dentro da cadeia. Que a falta de coordenação da cadeia é um dificultador tanto para a rastreabilidade quanto para a utilização de TIMS. Para esta cadeia, o entendimento de tecnologia compreende principalmente técnicas de manejo, irrigação, melhoramento genético e alimentação, isto é, embora presentes, as TIMS não são percebidas como tecnologias prioritárias para o funcionamento da cadeia. Problemas de infraestrutura básica, como energia elétrica e telecomunicações, bem como a compreensão das necessidades tecnológicas e informacionais das propriedades rurais, dificultam a implantação e adoção das TIMS. A falta de regulamentação quanto ao uso de dispositivos eletrônicos retarda a aplicação dos brincos de RFID para garantir a rastreabilidade. O custo da tecnologia e a baixa qualificação da mão de obra são também apontados como outros dificultadores de adoção. Observa-se que ao mesmo tempo em que o sistema de rastreabilidade brasileiro estabelece rigorosos controles na operacionalização, por outro lado dá margem para controle tardio do rebanho. Percebe-se que a rastreabilidade é mais intensamente trabalhada no elo de engorda, elo mais próximo ao frigorífico. Também observa-se que o frigorífico, por ser o elo com maior “poder” na cadeia e aquele que tem necessidade direta da rastreabilidade para atender ao mercado europeu exige a rastreabilidade, porém os custos dessa rastreabilidade são de exclusiva responsabilidade dos pecuaristas. O prêmio europa vem sendo reduzido de forma gradativa, desestimulando muitos produtores a manterem-se no sistema de rastreabilidade (SISBOV). No entanto, verificou-se que, além do seu possível uso para rastreabilidade, e apesar de alguns fatores dificultadores para adoção, a TI e as TIMS trazem diversos benefícios para a gestão das organizações na cadeia pesquisada, tais como: melhor controle de estoque, de custos individuais, de volume e tempo da produção, de previsão de vendas, de produtividade dos funcionários, redução nos erros de lançamento, aumento da eficiência do manejo, segurança para o acionista e melhoria na qualidade e disponibilidade da informação. / The aim of this study is to analyze the use of Wireless and Mobile Information Technology (TIMs, its acronym in Portuguese) in different links of the bovine chain in the state of Goiás and to identify the challenges and opportunities to use these technologies in the studied context. The method used was a single case study that has as unity of analysis the chain of beef cattle in the state of Goiás. The research was conducted in two stages: one exploratory and one descriptive. At the exploratory stage the objective was to become familiar with the topic through the analysis of published studies and through the completion of eight (8) semi-structured interviews with professional associations, certifying agencies and TIMs suppliers representatives. The descriptive stage held thirteen (13) semi-structured interviews with representatives from eleven companies belonging to the mentioned chain links (raising, breeding, fattening, frigorific and trader) in order to understand the process of the adoption or not adoption of TIMs. The analysis of the results points that frigorific is the strongest link of the chain. The lack of coordination is an impediment for both traceability and for the use of TIMs. For this chain, the understanding of the technology embraces mainly the management, irrigation, breeding and feeding techniques, this means that although TIMs are present, they are not perceived as priority technologies for the chain operation. Problems of basic infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications, and the understanding of technological and information needs of rural properties hinder the implementation and adoption of TIMs. The lack of regulation regarding the use of electronic devices slows the application of the RFID earrings in order to ensure traceability. The technology costs and the low qualification of the workforce are also mentioned as hindering to adopt the technology. It is observed that at the same time the Brazilian traceability system establishes strict controls on the operation it gives room for late cattle control. One can notice that traceability is intensively worked at the fattening link, which is closer to the frigorific. It is also noticed that the frigorific, for being the most “powerful” link in the chain and the one with greater needs of the traceability to attend the European market demands the traceability, however the costs of this traceability are farmers’ responsibility. The Europe award has been reduced gradually, discouraging many farmers to remain in the traceability system (SISBOV). However, it was confirmed that besides its possible use to traceability, and despite some difficulties to adopt the technology, Information Technology and TIMs bring several benefits to the organizations management, such as better control of: inventory individual costs, time production volume, sales forecast, employee productivity, reduction in entry errors, increased efficiency of management, security for stockholders, and the improvement of quality and availability of the information.

L’identification par radiofréquence, RFID, est une technologie qui transforme la façon dont les gouvernements identifient leurs citoyens, dont les entreprises tracent leurs produits et surveillent le comportement des consommateurs, et la manière dont les individus s’identifient et effectuent des transactions commerciales et sociales. Les étiquettes, ou « tags » RFID, existent sous plusieurs formes : elles peuvent être aussi petites qu’un grain de riz et aussi épaisse qu’une feuille de papier. Lors d’une lecture par un lecteur RFID, l’objet à qui le tag est assigné, peut être identifié. Contrairement au système de code à barres, la communication entre les tags et lecteurs ne dépend pas d’une ligne directe de visibilité. Les tags RFID peuvent être donc incorporés dans virtuellement tous les biens de consommation. Dans cette thèse, nous explorons le jour où la RFID sera omniprésente (ubiquitous). Nous soutenons qu’au sein de cette ère d’ubiquitous RFID (uRFID) qui s’ouvre à nous, la traçabilité humaine dans les arènes des citoyens et des consommateurs fleurira. Pour assurer une transition en douceur, nous proposons un modèle conceptuel constitué de quatre constructions théoriques pouvant influencer de manière favorable l’usage par le public des environnements uRFID. Ces constructions sont l’intimité/la vie privée (privacy), la sensibilisation (awareness), la maîtrise (control) et la confiance (trust) (ou PACT). Nous postulons que si les opérateurs, les ingénieurs, les gouvernements et les industriels font preuve d’éthique et de sérieux pour intégrer ces constructions au sein des systèmes RFID, alors l’approbation par le public suivra. / Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, is a technology that is transforming the way governments identify citizens, companies track products and monitor the behavior of consumers, and the way individuals carry out identification processes and commercial and social transactions. RFID tags come in a host of form factors : they can be as small as a grain of rice and as flat as a sheet of paper. When read by an RFID interrogator (or reader), the asset to which the tag is assigned can be identified. Unlike barcode systems, the communication process between RFID tags and readers do not require a direct line-of-sight; as a result, RFID tags can be embedded in clothing, signage, identification credentials, and virtually all consumer goods in existence. In this thesis, we speak of environments in which RFID technology will be ubiquitous, akin to the state of the printed barcode today. We argue that in this period of ubiquitous RFID (or uRFID), human monitoring in consumer and citizen arenas will flourish. If not properly integrated, several risks could affect both the end-user and the RFID operator. Herein, we propose a conceptual model consisting of four theoretical constructs that we believe could favorably influence end-users to accept uRFID environments. We refer to these constructs as PACT; that is, privacy, awareness, control and trust. We hold that if RFID operators, system designers, government and industry make a conscious, ethical, and active effort to integrate these constructs in RFID systems, public acceptance will follow.

Esta dissertação propõe um modelo tecnológico de automação para realização de pesquisas no setor do transporte público, com o objetivo de contribuir para o aprimoramento da coleta de dados, avaliação e manutenção da qualidade dos serviços prestados à população. O trabalho justifica-se pela necessidade de superação de lacunas existentes para obtenção de informações, o que repercute na gestão do sistema de transporte público como um todo. Devido à relevância crescente do tema da mobilidade urbana e os impactos que provoca na qualidade de vida das pessoas, o objeto de estudo escolhido foram os deslocamentos dos passageiros por meio do uso de ônibus na cidade de São Paulo. O modelo proposto integra a tecnologia de identificação por radiofrequência (RFID - Radio Frequency IDentification), em cartões inteligentes, utilizados atualmente para pagar a tarifa, com tecnologias de rastreamento da frota, que, por meio de GPS (Global Position Systems), fornecem informações sobre os locais de circulação dos ônibus. Os resultados obtidos mostram que esta integração pode resolver os problemas da falta de precisão no levantamento de dados sobre os locais onde são iniciadas e finalizadas as viagens de passageiros, bem como tornar sistemáticos os levantamentos de tais dados, sem necessidade de pesquisas manuais, o que representa economia de recursos. Constitui uma proposta inovadora com grande utilidade para ampliar as condições que favorecem a mobilidade urbana e é convergente no desenvolvimento de cidades inteligentes. / This dissertation proposes a technological model for automation for conducting surveys in the public transport sector, in order to contribute to the improvement of data collection, evaluation and maintenance of quality of services rendered to the population. The work is justified by the need to overcome gaps for obtaining information, which affects the management of the public transport system as a whole. Due to the increasing relevance of the issue of urban mobility and its impact on quality of life, the chosen object of study were the passenger movements through the bus use in the city of São Paulo. The proposed model integrates the radio frequency identification technology - RFID, on smart cards currently used to pay the fare, with fleet tracking technologies, which, through GPS (Global Position Systems), provide information on the bus traffic locations. The results show that this integration can solve the problems of lack of precision in data about where passenger trips are initiated and completed as well as make systematic withdrawals of such data without the need for manual searches, saving features. It is an innovative proposal with great use to expand the conditions that improve urban mobility and is convergent to the development of smart cities.

The performance of commercial Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags is primarily limited by present techniques used for tag antenna design. Currently, industry techniques rely on identifying the RFID tag application (books, clothing, etc.) and then building antenna prototypes of different configurations in order to satisfy minimum read range requirements. However, these techniques inherently lack an electromagnetic basis and are unable to provide a low cost solution to the tag antenna design process. RFID tag performance characteristics (read-range, chip-antenna impedance matching, surrounding environment) can be very complex, and a thorough understanding of the RFID tag antenna design may be gained through an electromagnetic approach in order to reduce the tag antenna size and the overall cost of the RFID system. The research presented in this thesis addresses RFID tag antenna design process for passive RFID tags. With the growing number of applications (inventory, supply-chain, pharmaceuticals, etc), the proposed RFID antenna design process demonstrates procedures to design tag antennas for such applications. Electrical/geometrical properties of the antennas designed were investigated with the help of computer electromagnetic simulations in order to achieve optimal tag performance criteria such as read range, chip-impedance matching, antenna efficiency, etc. Experimental results were performed on the proposed antenna designs to compliment computer simulations and analytical modelling.

Fundamental features of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems used in different application areas will be reviewed. Techniques used in realizing RFID antenna systems will be studied and the procedure to realize a specific RFID antenna type possessing desired characteristics will be described. Electrical properties such as radiation pattern, impedance will be predicted using analytical and/or computer simulation techniques. Experimental investigations will be carried out to complement the theoretical work.