In 2004, he became head of the Cambridge Auto ID Lab and co founded a series of programmes on information in the aerospace sector including the Aero ID Programme, examining the role of RFID in the aerospace industry. Professor McFarlane is also Co-Founder and Chairman of RedBite Solutions Ltd - an industrial RFID and track & trace solutions company.

Research interests
Professor McFarlane's research interests include automated identification systems and their application, supply chain automation systems and architectures, manufacturing control and automation, systems integration, reconfigurable systems design, distributed control systems, value of information, service engineering, energy and information, logistics information systems, and warehouse management.