Demystifying the Power of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 38-53
Author(s):  
Robin Singh Bhadoria ◽  
Neha Sharma ◽  
Manish Kumar Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Supply Chain Network ◽  
Critical System ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Future Supply ◽  
The Impact

Modern supply chain management systems have evolved into a complex and critical system. Thus, it has grown more interesting to verify the source of products and its visibility as it is moving through the supply chain network. The application of blockchain technology and Internet of Things (IoT) are likely to affect the supply chain management objectives such as cost, quality, speed, dependability, risk reduction, sustainability, and flexibility. This paper presented the concept of how blockchain technology and IoT can help to achieve supply chain objectives. This research focuses on the impact of blockchain on current and future supply chain management systems.

scholarly journals Blockchains for Supply Chain Management: Architectural Elements and Challenges Towards a Global Scale Deployment

Logistics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonios Litke ◽  
Dimosthenis Anagnostopoulos ◽  
Theodora Varvarigou
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Architectural Elements ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Digital Assets

Blockchains are attracting the attention of stakeholders in many industrial domains, including the logistics and supply chain industries. Blockchain technology can effectively contribute in recording every single asset throughout its flow on the supply chain, contribute in tracking orders, receipts, and payments, while track digital assets such as warranties and licenses in a unified and transparent way. The paper provides, through its methodology, a detailed analysis of the blockchain fit in the supply chain industry. It defines the specific elements of blockchain that affect supply chain such as scalability, performance, consensus mechanism, privacy considerations, location proof and cost, and details on the impact that blockchains will have in disrupting the supply chain industry. Discussing the tradeoff between consensus cost, throughput and validation time it proceeds with a suggested high-level architectural approach, and concludes as a result with a discussion on changes needed and challenges faced for an in-vivo deployment of blockchains in the supply chain industry. While the technological features of modern blockchains can effectively facilitate supply chain uses cases, the various challenges that still remain, bring in front of us a wide set of needed changes and further research efforts for achieving a global, production level blockchain for the supply chain industry.

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.

A new model for investigating the impact of urban knowledge, urban intelligent transportation systems and IT infrastructures on the success of SCM systems in the distributed organizations

Kybernetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 2799-2818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Erlin Tian ◽  
Fattaneh Daneshmand Malayeri ◽  
Alireza Balali
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Intelligent Transportation Systems ◽  
Intelligent Transportation ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Purpose A fundamental concept of the smart city is to get the right information at the right place to make city-related decisions easier and quicker. The main goal of supply chain management (SCM) systems is to enhance the supply chain process for delivering the identified products to customers correctly in distributed organizations. In addition, new IT infrastructure such as cloud-based systems and internet of things (IoT) have changed many organizations and firms. Hence, this study aims to assess the factors that contribute to the success of SCM systems. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the usage of urban knowledge, urban intelligent transportation systems and IT infrastructure was considered as a key factor for the success of SCM systems. For assessing the features of the model, a comprehensive questionnaire was designed. The survey questionnaires were sent to critical informers who are practical heads associated with SCM and urbanism. Of these, 315 usable responses were received, resulting in a response rate of 82.03%. The data were examined using Smart-PLS version 3.2 and IBM SPSS version 25. Findings The obtained results showed the high strength of the proposed model. This study found that the impact of urban ITS (safety, accessibility, information management and flexibility) is important to the success of supply chain management systems. Another important finding is that the cloud-based system (cloud security, resource virtualization, on-demand self-service and scalability) has a very important role in the success of supply chain management systems. The finding showed that the effect of IoT service variable (commercialization, mobility features, infrastructure capabilities and security and privacy) on the success of supply chain management systems is significant and positive. The findings also showed that urban knowledge (usage skills, awareness, experience and knowledge sharing) is viewed as a significant factor in the success of supply chain management systems. Research limitations/implications The inductive nature of research methodology has introduced limitations on the generalizability of results. Therefore, it is recommended to examine the validity of this research model in other supply chains. Practical implications The statistical results support the crucial role of urban knowledge, urban intelligent transportation systems, IoT services and cloud-based systems. Therefore, aspects relating to these factors must be the focus of attention of any distributed organization in their endeavor to develop supply chain management systems. Implementing cloud based IoT through accurate and timely availability of information, can predict forecasting and planning processes, resources, logistics and support, service management and spare parts and many sub-processes in the supply chain. These technologies allow organizations to invest in manufacturing and operating processes rather than paying for the software section, which will generate more cash flow. Originality/value One of the most crucial and fundamental parts of an organization’s management is the supply chain management. The department is responsible for coordinating all units from the initial stages, such as supplying materials to the final stages, such as delivery and after-sales service. Comprehensive and credible information platforms are essential for managing a supply chain. Therefore, it is important to use integrated information systems such as IoT, cloud computing, intelligent transportation systems and more in this part of the organization management. Covering this information in a timely and accurate manner will facilitate the process and make the process more transparent. For this purpose, a model is needed to determine the relationship between technologies and supply chain management, which this study has provided a comprehensive model.

scholarly journals Benefit and Challenge of Blockchain Technology in Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 8309-8313
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Financial Industry ◽  
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Counterfeit Drug ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The Impact

Pharmaceutical Industry Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been an invigorating research topic because the industry strives to explore innovative ways to secure the medicine distribution and to ensure the authenticity of medicine consumed by the patients. A surge in the counterfeit drug has called an urgent effort for the industry to eradicate. In this scope, the fake medicine harm serious health problem for patients. To cope with this urgency, Blockchain offers the new innovative technology that captures the security and accountability in the financial industry for decades. In this spectrum, the new generation of blockchain with smart contract feature enables the utilization of blockchain in an enterprise setting such as Supply Chain Management Systems. In this point, this study explored contemporary for benefit and challenge blockchain adoption based on Systematic Literature Review methodology. At a closer look, the research indicates the impact of the Blockchain Adoption Technology in Pharmaceutical Industry SCM in for four aspects, i.e. supplier, producer, logistic/distributor, and customer. In a specific range, this research explores significant factors from ten leading journals (one thousand two hundred and fourteen papers) and selects solely eighteen relevant documents. The examination reveals the critical research development of blockchain technology adoption in Pharmaceutical SCM and twenty-three essential factors.

The Impact of e-Supply Chain Management Systems on Procurement Operations and Cost Reduction in the Electronics Manufacturing Services Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Sherif Barrad ◽  
Raul Valverde
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Inventory Systems ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Electronics Manufacturing ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
The North ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
The Impact

The article examines the effect of e-supply chain management systems in the operations and business models in the North American electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry. A causal and descriptive research study was conducted based on a survey applied to thirty-six individuals in EMS firms in order to determine the impact of e-SCM on their key supply chain operations and business models. Results of the research revealed that e-SCM had a positive effect in the operations and business models of the EMS industry as these showed that the profits of the firm increased and internal communications was improved due to the implementation of e-SCM. The research also showed that e-SCMs have many technical issues such as problems with process automation and transmission of supply chain data, e-procurement effectiveness, integration with existing systems and the monitoring of inventory systems and the purchasing process. The research also shows how social media and the internet has affected the business models of the EMS by improving communications and operations in the overall supply chain.

From Supply Chain Management to Blockchain-Based Management

2019 ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
G. V. Zubakov ◽  
O D. Protsenko ◽  
I. O. Protsenko
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Mutual Trade ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Supply Chain Management System ◽  
The Government

The presented study addresses the current problems in the implementation of the distributed ledger (blockchain) technology in supply chain management mechanisms in the context of the digital economy. Aim. The study aims to analyze the application of the blockchain technology in modern economic processes from the perspective of logistics.Tasks. The authors consider the possibility of using the blockchain technology in the supply chain management system and explore ways to use the findings of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) in the fieldof digital economy to organize information standardization processes within the supply chains of foreign and mutual trade.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition to examine approaches to the implementation of the blockchain technology in transport and logistics processes and to find opportunities for the implementation of smart contracts to ensure the traceability of the entire chain of commodity and information fl ws.Results. Implementation of the distributed ledger (blockchain) technology in the logistics processes of foreign and mutual trade increases the transparency of information fl ws and the speed of decisionmaking. This technology would allow the parties to negotiate directly, minimizing potential risks and the time required to approve a supply deal.Conclusions. The authors consider the possibility of using a systematic approach to the digitalization of transport and logistics processes and the subsequent standardization of information interaction at the B2B, B2G, and G2G levels, segmented by separate fields of transport and foreign trade and individual economic sectors. As a conclusion, the study assesses the prospects of the practical implementation of blockchain mechanisms in the creation of industrial platforms — digital platforms that provide integrated services for businesses and the government using a single window system.

scholarly journals Mapping domain characteristics influencing Analytics initiatives: The example of Supply Chain Analytics

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Tino Herden
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: Analytics research is increasingly divided by the domains Analytics is applied to. Literature offers little understanding whether aspects such as success factors, barriers and management of Analytics must be investigated domain-specific, while the execution of Analytics initiatives is similar across domains and similar issues occur. This article investigates characteristics of the execution of Analytics initiatives that are distinct in domains and can guide future research collaboration and focus. The research was conducted on the example of Logistics and Supply Chain Management and the respective domain-specific Analytics subfield of Supply Chain Analytics. The field of Logistics and Supply Chain Management has been recognized as early adopter of Analytics but has retracted to a midfield position comparing different domains.Design/methodology/approach: This research uses Grounded Theory based on 12 semi-structured Interviews creating a map of domain characteristics based of the paradigm scheme of Strauss and Corbin.Findings: A total of 34 characteristics of Analytics initiatives that distinguish domains in the execution of initiatives were identified, which are mapped and explained. As a blueprint for further research, the domain-specifics of Logistics and Supply Chain Management are presented and discussed.Originality/value: The results of this research stimulates cross domain research on Analytics issues and prompt research on the identified characteristics with broader understanding of the impact on Analytics initiatives. The also describe the status-quo of Analytics. Further, results help managers control the environment of initiatives and design more successful initiatives.

scholarly journals Impact of Gender and Expatriation Choice on Career Paths in Supply Chain Management: Evidence from Master of Science Graduates

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6907
Author(s):  
Salomée Ruel ◽  
Anicia Jaegler
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Master Of Science ◽  
International Graduates ◽  
The Impact

Zinn et al. (2018) and Esper et al. (2020) call for more research on gender diversity in Supply Chain Management, and our study responds to that call. We analyze the career path of 1081 international graduates from a higher degree program in Supply Chain Management from 2000 to 2017 to assess the impact of gender and expatriation choice on hierarchical progression. We explore two variables that may affect graduates’ career paths, namely, their gender and their expatriation choices, and compare their relative importance. Our analysis shows that there were, on average, 33.5% women recruited in the MSc and that this has not significantly changed over the years. It also shows that gender significantly influences the number of years spent at each level in the career hierarchy and the level reached. Regarding expatriation choice, this variable has some significant impacts on career progression. Finally, statistics indicate that gender has a far greater influence on career progression than expatriation choice. Overall, this study proves the difficulties for women in enjoying the same career progression as men in the field of Supply Chain Management.

scholarly journals Security of Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Management Systems: Challenges and Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5585
Author(s):  
Sana Al-Farsi ◽  
Muhammad Mazhar Rathore ◽  
Spiros Bakiras
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Counter Measures ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Unique Approach

Blockchain is a revolutionary technology that is being used in many applications, including supply chain management. Although, the primary motive of using a blockchain for supply chain management is to reduce the overall production cost while providing the comprehensive security to the system. However, current blockchain-based supply-chain management (BC-SCM) systems still hold the possibility of cyber attacks. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate practical threats and vulnerabilities in the design of BC-SCM systems. As a starting point, we first establish key requirements for the reliability and security of supply chain management systems, i.e., transparency, privacy and traceability, and then discern a threat model that includes two distinctive but practical threats including computational (i.e., the ones that threaten the functionality of the application) and communication (i.e., the ones that threaten information exchange among interconnected services of the application). For investigation, we follow a unique approach based on the hypothesis that reliability is pre-requisite of security and identify the threats considering (i) design of smart contracts and associated supply chain management applications, (ii) underlying blockchain execution environment and (iii) trust between all interconnected supply management services. Moreover, we consider both academic and industry solutions to identify the threats. We identify several challenges that hinder to establish reliability and security of the BC-SCM systems. Importantly, we also highlight research gaps that can help to establish desired security of the BC-SCM. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first effort that identifies practical threats to blockchain-based supply chain management systems and provides their counter measures. Finally, this work establishes foundation for future investigation towards practical security of BC-SCM system.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document