Purpose - This study aims at pointing out the criteria that encourages or discourages firms to a crosscompany implementation of RFID technology within the supply chain and identifying the most suitable processes. Therefore, this study focuses on the automotive sector in Germany. Design/methodology/approach - A Qualitative Data Analysis was conducted during the underlying study. Within this scope, in-depth interviews with experts of different companies inside the automotive sector served as a source of qualitative data. Findings - It is found that the chance of an optimization and/or redesign of existing processes is the most important incentive for a cross-company implementation of RFID, while high costs and a lack of industrial standards are the biggest challenges. Furthermore, goods receipt and issue as well as the management of means of production can be identified as the most relevant applications. Research limitations/implications - Only companies involved in a narrow section of the automotive supply chain were interviewed. Upstream and downstream activities were not conducted. Therefore, the present study provides a starting-point for further research not only in the automotive sector, but also in other industries for which this excerpt may also be considered as representative. Practical implications - Due to the great potential of RFID technology, particularly in container management approaches, a fair distribution of costs among the benefitting companies should be found quickly. Originality/value - The present study provides insights into the current use of RFID within cross-company processes. Furthermore, it grants information about the present challenges of the technology from a practical perspective.