The use of blockchain in the luxury industry: supply chains and the traceability of goods

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie de Boissieu ◽  
Galina Kondrateva ◽  
Patricia Baudier ◽  
Chantal Ammi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Luxury Industry

PurposeMost businesses strive to control the efficiency of their supply chains; however, luxury firms face additional challenges from counterfeit, gray market and copycat products. Blockchain technology can address these issues and enhance firms' supply chain management, guaranteeing the traceability and origin of luxury products. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the utility and contexts influencing the implementation of blockchain technology to optimize supply chain management and prevent fraud in the luxury industry.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses a qualitative approach based on the grounded theory method. Data are collected by semi-structured interviews with 12 stakeholders working on blockchain applications in the luxury business sector.FindingsHighlighting the problems faced by luxury brands' supply chains, this study presents blockchain technology as a solution for disintermediation, traceability and transparency in the luxury goods sector. The constraints faced by luxury brands incorporating this technology into their ecosystem include the knowledge gap, the multiplicity of third parties involved in the production process and bias toward short-term returns on investment.Originality/valueBlockchains promote greater transparency and efficiency within supply chains, which builds consumer trust and improves brand revenue. Considering luxury brands' reluctance to adopt blockchains, this study suggests that luxury firms adopt a staggered implementation of private blockchain networks starting with a small number of third-party suppliers.

scholarly journals Opportunities and limitations of public blockchain-based supply chain traceability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Bischoff ◽  
Stefan Seuring
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Privacy Model

PurposeBlockchain technology is provoking significant disruptions, thereby affecting supply chain management. This study endeavoured to advance research regarding blockchain-based supply chain traceability by identifying the opportunities and limitations that accompany the adoption of public blockchains. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to contribute to contemporary supply chain research by an assessment of blockchain technology and its linkages to traceability.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual. The authors summarised the relevant literature on the concepts of supply chain traceability, conceptualised key elements exclusive to the public blockchain and highlighted opportunities and limitations in implementing traceability using blockchains.FindingsIncompatibilities were identified between general traceability and the public blockchain. However, when embracing the blockchain's privacy model, the blockchains can support information exchange in supply chains where vulnerability towards third parties, the confidentiality of information, or the privacy of participants are concerns. Furthermore, the public blockchain can support areas of supply chains where institutional interest is lacking.Originality/valueThis is one of the first papers in an international supply chain management journal to critically analyse the intersection of specific blockchain characteristics and supply chain traceability requirements. The authors thereby add to the discussion of designs for a disintermediated, peer-to-peer models and guide researchers and practitioners alike in exploring the application of disruptive change from blockchain technologies. By setting focus on the privacy model, the paper identifies the potential application and future research approaches to exploit the elementary strength of the blockchain.

scholarly journals Shifting trust in construction supply chains through blockchain technology

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoning (Alice) Qian ◽  
Eleni Papadonikolaki
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contractual Arrangements ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The Impact

PurposeBlockchain technology is booming in many industries. Its application in supply chain management is also gradually increasing. Supply chain management (SCM) has long been committed to reducing costs and increasing efficiency and is trying to optimise resources and reduce the sector's fragmentation. Trust has always been an important factor in managing supply chain relationships, and it also affects the efficiency of supply chain operations. To this end, this study aims to examine how trust is affected by the introduction of blockchain technology in construction supply chain management.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on semi-structured interviews and publicly available information from experts in blockchain and construction supply chain management. Through content analysis, the data are analysed thematically to explore how various types of trust, such as system-based, cognition-based and relation-based, are affected by blockchain technology.FindingsBlockchain technology provides solutions for data tracking, contracting and transferring resources in supply chain management. These applications help enhance the various sources of trust in SCM and provide supply chain partners with protection mechanisms to avoid the risks and costs of opportunistic behaviour in collaboration, shifting trust from relational to system-based and cognition-based.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses only on inter-organisational rather than interpersonal trust and empirical data from experts whose knowledge and cognition could be subjective.Practical implicationsLeveraging the potential of digitalisation to manage trust requires that leaders and managers actively try to improve contractual arrangements, information sharing and being open to new innovative technologies like blockchain.Social implicationsFrom a relational view of supply chain management, the extent to which blockchain technology can develop and spread depends on the readiness of the social capital to accept decentralised governance structures.Originality/valueThis study builds upon an original data set and discusses features and applications of blockchain technology, explores the sources and dimensions of trust in supply chain management and explains the impact of blockchain technology on trust.

scholarly journals Blockchain technology: implications for operations and supply chain management

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosanna Cole ◽  
Mark Stevenson ◽  
James Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
New Research

PurposeThis paper aims to encourage the study of blockchain technology from an operations and supply chain management (OSCM) perspective, identifying potential areas of application, and to provide an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachAn explanation and analysis of blockchain technology is provided to identify implications for the field of OSCM.FindingsThe hype around the opportunities that digital ledger technologies offer is high. For OSCM, a myriad of ways in which blockchain could transform practice are identified, including enhancing product safety and security; improving quality management; reducing illegal counterfeiting; improving sustainable supply chain management; advancing inventory management and replenishment; reducing the need for intermediaries; impacting new product design and development; and reducing the cost of supply chain transactions. The immature state of practice and research surrounding blockchain means there is an opportunity for OSCM researchers to study the technology in its early stages and shape its adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides a platform for new research that addresses gaps in knowledge and advances the field of OSCM. A research agenda is developed around six key themes.Practical implicationsThere are many opportunities for organisations to obtain an advantage by making use of blockchain technology ahead of the competition, enabling them to enhance their market position. But it is important that managers examine the characteristics of their products, services and supply chains to determine whether they need or would benefit sufficiently from the adoption of blockchain. Moreover, it is important that organisations build human capital expertise that allows them to develop, implement and exploit applications of this technology to maximum reward.Originality/valueThis is one of the first papers in a leading international OSCM journal to analyse blockchain technology, thereby complementing a recent article on digital supply chains that omitted blockchain.

Building resilience in retail supply chains: Lessons learned from COVID-19 and future pathways

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Saleem Butt
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study explores the countermeasures taken by retailers to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on supply chain disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a multiple case study approach and undertakes 36 semi-structured interviews with senior management of the four largest retailers of the United Arab Emirates. The respondents were designated at different positions such as Vice President, Director and Project Manager.FindingsResults reveal that retailers are employing six countermeasures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on supply chains. Particularly, retailers are securing required demand, preserving cash flows, redirecting inventory, adding capacity to their distribution centres, becoming more flexible with their direct or third-party logistics provider and finally widening delivery options for their suppliers to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. First, the results of this study cannot be generalized to a broader population as it attempts to build an initial theory. Second, this study uses a cross-sectional approach to explore the countermeasures employed by retailing firms to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.Originality/valueA notable weakness in a supply chain disruption literature is an unfulfilled need for research examining the strategies employed by retailers to respond to/address the challenges posed by COVID-19. Our study fills this gap.

Can Projects on Blockchain Reduce Risks in Supply Chain Management?: An Oil Company Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-201
Author(s):  
Anil Kumar Vishnubhotla ◽  
Rupesh Kumar Pati ◽  
Sidhartha S. Padhi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Supply Chain Risk ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Value Contribution ◽  
Similar Survey ◽  
Enterprise Level ◽  
Oil Company

Increase in competition and the strategic move of enhanced outsourcing has made supply chain more complex. Various applications and software solutions are available to better manage this complexity. It has been observed that often such initiatives may not provide the excepted benefits. It has also been reported that an unclear understanding of business needs (including perceived risks) is the main reason of supply chain failure. The present study attempts to capture enterprise level supply chain risk in an oil company (case company) in India and explore if perception of a decision maker favours use of blockchain technology project to reduce the supply chain risk. The study adopts the following methodology: in-depth semi-structured interviews and structured survey was carried out with the top management of the case company to identify various enterprise level risks for supply chain management (SCM) projects which were subsequently clustered under Operations, Finance, Human Resources, and Strategic Business Risk categories. Inputs on the probability of occurrence and impacts of the identified risks on the enterprise-wide supply chain was mapped on the risk severity matrix (heat map) to prioritize the risks. Subsequently, the second round of questionnaire was developed and a similar survey carried out again with the same sample show the change in risk perception due to potential application of blockchain technology. Interesting insights could be gained from the practitioner’s perspective on the value contribution of using blockchain for improving management of SCM risks. It could be observed that a number of the high priority risk (in the initial scenario) could now be eliminated or managed due to specific characteristics of blockchain.. One of the major limitations of the present study is the lack of generalizability of the insights as it is based exclusively on the perspective of the case company towards the blockchain.

Supply chain corruption practices circumventing sustainability standards: wolves in sheep's clothing

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 1873-1907
Author(s):  
Bruno S. Silvestre ◽  
Fernando Luiz E. Viana ◽  
Marcelo de Sousa Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Standards ◽  
Business Corruption

PurposeA growing number of private, voluntary and mandatory sustainability standards have recently emerged. However, supply chain corruption practices as mechanisms to circumvent sustainability standards have also grown and occur regularly. This paper strives to elaborate theory on the intersection of institutional theory, business corruption and the sustainability standards literature by investigating factors that influence the emergence of supply chain corruption practices.Design/methodology/approachBased on secondary data, four in-depth case studies of supply chain corruption practices are investigated through the use of adaptive theory and the method of constant comparisons to elaborate theory on this important phenomenon.FindingsThe paper suggests that although sustainability standards can improve supply chain sustainability performance, if they are adopted only symbolically and not substantively, unanticipated outcomes such as supply chain corruption may occur. The study proposes a typology of supply chain corruption practices, further explores the symbolic adoption of sustainability standards in supply chains and proposes the novel construct of “social isomorphism for corruption.” Since focal companies play central roles in leading supply chain corruption practices, we reason that they can also play a pivotal role in preventing supply chain corruption practices by promoting the substantive adoption of sustainability standards across their supply chains.Originality/valueThis paper elaborates theory on the challenging phenomenon of corruption in supply chains by linking the supply chain management literature to the corruption and the sustainability discourses and offers important insights to aid our understanding on the topic. It generates six propositions and four contributions to the sustainable supply chain management theory, practice and policy.

Supply chain management and activity-based costing

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 712-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Hofmann ◽  
Jan Bosshard
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Activity Based Costing ◽  
Automatic Data ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Framework ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to summarize and analyze what is known regarding activity-based costing (ABC) applications in the context of supply chain management (SCM). The authors present a reference framework for practical implications and areas for future research in intra-firm and inter-organizational environments. Design/methodology/approach The findings underlie a systematic review methodology. Research gaps and guidance for further publications are derived from the reference framework based on ABC and SCM literature. Findings The review illustrates four main areas for further research: determination of the role of management accounting in SCM (including supply chain finance), integration of time-driven ABC with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and automatic data collection, analysis of inter-organizational management tools in supply chains in multiple negotiation rounds, and standardization of cost accounting data in supply chains. Practical implications The review provides practitioners with three main recommendations: ABC applications require a solid data basis, organizational readiness, commitment from senior management, and an ABC management philosophy; open book accounting for inter-organizational cost information-sharing purposes needs institutional arrangements and economic incentive systems; and sharing costs and benefits among supply chain members requires a change of managers’ mind-set. Originality/value This paper reveals practical implications and provides new directions for research based on the reference framework. The paper contributes to the interdisciplinary topic between SCM and management accounting by providing a structured overview of 87 peer-reviewed articles from 1992 to 2016.

An analysis of keywords used in the literature on green supply chain management

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amulya Gurtu ◽  
Cory Searcy ◽  
M.Y. Jaber
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Green Supply Chain Management ◽  
Green Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Green Supply Chains

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the keywords used in peer-reviewed literature on green supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach To determine the keywords that were used in this area, an analysis of 629 papers was conducted. The papers were identified through searches of 13 keywords on green supply chains. Trends in keyword usage were analyzed in detail focusing on examining variables such as the most frequently used journals/keywords, their frequencies, citation frequency and research contribution from different disciplines/countries. Findings A number of different terms have been used for research focused on the environmental impacts of supply chains, including green supply chains, sustainable supply chains, reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains, among others. The analysis revealed that the intensity of research in this area has more than tripled in the past six years and that the most used keyword was “reverse logistics”. The use of the terms “green supply chains” and “sustainable supply chains” is increasing, and the use of “reverse logistics” is decreasing. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to 629 papers from the Scopus database during the period of 2007 and 2012. Originality/value The paper presents the first systematic analysis of keywords used in the literature on green supply chains. Given the broad array of terms used to refer to research in this area, this is a needed contribution. This work will help researchers in choosing keywords with high frequency and targeting journals for publishing their future work. The paper may also provide a basis for further work on developing consolidated definitions of terms focused on green supply chain management.

On data and connectivity in complete supply chains

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 1145-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Engelseth ◽  
Judith Molka-Danielsen ◽  
Brian E. White
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Process Development ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Discourse ◽  
End To End ◽  
Chain Organization

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to question the applicability of recent industry-derived terms such as “Big Data” (BD) and the “Internet of things” (IoT) in a supply chain managerial context. Is this labeling useful in managing the operations found in supply chains? Design/methodology/approach BD and IoT are critically discussed in the context of a complete supply chain organization. A case study of banana supply from Costa Rica to Norway is provided to empirically ground this research. Thompson’s contingency theory, Alderson’s functionalistic end-to-end “marketing channels” model, Penrose’s view of supply purpose associated with service provision, and particularities of banana supply reveal how end-to-end supply chains are complex systems, even though the product distributed is fairly simple. Findings Results indicate that the usefulness of BD in supply chain management discourse is limited. Instead its connectivity is facilitated by what is now becoming commonly labeled as IoT, people, devices and documents that are useful when taking an end-to-end supply chain perspective. Connectivity is critical to efficient contemporary supply chain management. Originality/value BD and IoT have emerged as a part of contemporary supply chain management discourse. This study directs attention to the importance of scrutinizing emergent and actual discourse in managing supply chains, that it is not irrelevant which words are applied, e.g., in research on information-enabled supply process development. Often the old words of professional terminology may be sufficient or even better to help manage supply.

Smart supply chain management: a review and implications for future research

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lifang Wu ◽  
Xiaohang Yue ◽  
Alan Jin ◽  
David C. Yen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Future Research ◽  
It Infrastructure ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intelligent Decision Making ◽  
Intelligent Decision ◽  
Smart Supply Chain Management

Purpose – As traditional supply chains are increasingly becoming intelligent with more objects embedded with sensors and better communication, intelligent decision making and automation capabilities, the new smart supply chain presents unprecedented opportunities for achieving cost reduction and enhancing efficiency improvement. The purpose of this paper is to study and explore the currents status and remaining issues of smart supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review is conducted to synthesize the earlier work in this area, and to conceptualize and discuss the smart supply chain characteristics. Further, the authors formulate and investigate five key research topics including information management, IT infrastructure, process automation, advanced analytics, and supply chain integration. Findings – Studies in those aforementioned subject fields are reviewed, categorized, and analyzed based on the review questions defined in the study. It is notable that while the topics of converging atoms with digits are increasingly attracting attention from researchers and practitioners alike, there are many more interesting research questions needing to be addressed. Originality/value – The paper provides original and relevant guidance for supply chain management researchers and practitioners on developing smart supply chains.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document