ART - Survey Shows RFID Adoption Slow in Public Sector 2009

The document is a survey conducted by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (NIGP) on the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the public sector. The preliminary results of the survey show that only 9% of public sector organizations are currently using RFID, while 19% are considering its adoption. The majority of respondents believe that RFID technology is still in the introduction phase. The study also reveals that the impetus for RFID initiatives mostly comes from within the organizations themselves. The survey examines the differences among current users, potential adopters, and those not considering adoption. It shows that both current users and potential adopters face challenges in incorporating the technology into their existing infrastructure, and cost is also a reported challenge. The majority of respondents work in organizations with yearly revenues/budgets of $10 million to $100 million. The study suggests that current users consider RFID a mainstream technology to a higher degree than non-users/non-adopters. However, current users do not see RFID as a core technology critical to their organization's future success, while non-users/non-adopters have even lower ratings. Users also perceive higher acceptance of RFID technology by top management and frontline employees compared to non-users/non-adopters. The study was conducted in collaboration with professors from East Carolina University, and it received a 9.3% response rate from the survey participants.