Will Blockchain Technology Revolutionize Supply Chain Management?

The integration of blockchain technology in supply chains has the potential to transform the industry by improving transparency, traceability, and security. This study provides insight into important aspects for data management in blockchains, such as data kinds, collection tactics, integration methodologies, and data input and delivery accountability. Furthermore, it emphasizes the financial ramifications of blockchain adoption, emphasizing the difficulties that small supply chain enterprises confront due to limited resources. Cultural resistance and deeply embedded corporate procedures are investigated as important operational barriers that could stymie blockchain technology adoption. This study emphasizes the significance of building robust governance models and protocols that promote collaboration and compliance among supply chain actors to manage these difficulties. Moreover, the importance of tackling interoperability issues across different blockchain systems to provide seamless information flow within complicated supply chain networks is emphasized.

Inspired by the discontinuation of the blockchain platform TradeLens, co-developed by IBM and Maersk, due to the lack of the involved supply chain stakeholders’ adoption, a critical literature review on the models of supply chain stakeholders’ adoption of blockchain applications was conducted. This review is significant as it provides insights into the exploration of a more universal approach to investigate which factors really influence blockchain adoption, which is a pre-requisite for the technical sustainability of blockchain technology in supply chains. As observed in the review, the technology acceptance model (TAM), the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) are frequently used in the literature, but little attention has been paid to whether blockchain technology fits the users’ tasks in understanding blockchain adoption in the supply chain. Among the technology adoption theories, task–technology fit (TTF) considers whether a technology fits the tasks, but only two previous studies involved the use of TTF. This study discusses the suitability of these existing models of technology adoption for blockchain applications in supply chains and comes up with a new unified model, namely TOE-TTF-UTAUT. This review also has implications for a more appropriate conceptual research design using mixed methods.

Previous literature shows that there are different environmental factors with different impacts on the adoption of technologies in a supply chain context. Thus, the adoption of technologies in supply chains may vary according to different environmental factors. Despite the existence of several studies about adoption of technologies in supply chain contexts that include environmental factors, there is a gap in identifying which environmental factors influence the adoption of digitalization technologies in supply chains. The purpose of this study is therefore to identify and analyze the environmental factors that influence the adoption of digitalization technologies in the supply chain. An exploratory qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with Portuguese managers of companies at several tiers of the automotive supply chain. Environmental factors were pointed as particularly critical drivers to promote the adoption of digitalization technologies in the automotive supply chain. Such adoption is mainly driven by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), through coercive and normative pressures over the other tiers of the supply chain. Relevant factors identified are: Compliance with standards and legislation, market and industry pressures, and benchmark the evolution of supply chain partners. This study contributes to the literature with new knowledge concerning new specificities of the environmental factors that showed an important influence on the adoption decision. © 2019 IEEE.

There is growing interest in blockchain’s potential to transform the logistics of international trade through its application to supply chains to increase efficiencies and minimize vulnerabilities. Yet for blockchain to truly transport supply chains on a global scale, laws and regulations that facilitate and support its implementation are required. This article explores potential regulatory barriers to the development of blockchain technology in supply chains and asks whether there is a role for international trade rules to address these barriers.

A blockchain maturity model in agricultural supply chain

As global supply chains become increasingly complex, traditional systems face challenges in ensuring efficiency, transparency, and innovation. Block chain technology has emerged as a transformative force in addressing these issues, offering a decentralized and secure framework for supply chain management. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the impact of block chain on supply chains, focusing on its potential to enhance efficiency, transparency, and foster innovation. The efficiency gains facilitated by block chain in supply chain management are examined through the elimination of intermediaries, reduction of paperwork, and real-time visibility into the entire process. These improvements result in streamlined operations, reduced costs, and enhanced responsiveness to market dynamics. Moreover, block chain’s decentralized nature ensures data integrity, mitigating the risk of fraud and errors in the supply chain. Transparency is a critical aspect of modern supply chains, and block chain provides an immutable and transparent ledger that enables end-to-end visibility. The technology ensures traceability and accountability, allowing stakeholders to access real-time information about the origin, movement, and status of products. This transparency not only enhances trust among supply chain participants but also facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements. The role of block chain in fostering innovation within supply chains is explored, emphasizing its potential to enable new business models, collaborative ecosystems, and the integration of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The paper highlights case studies and pilot projects where block chain has been successfully applied to drive innovation in supply chain processes. Challenges and considerations related to the implementation of block chain in supply chain management are also discussed, including interoperability, scalability, and regulatory issues. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions and emphasizing the need for industry-wide collaboration to unlock the full potential of block chain in revolutionizing supply chain management. Overall, this review contributes to the understanding of how block chain can serve as a catalyst for efficiency, transparency, and innovation in contemporary supply chains

Implementation and adoption of new technologies are gaining the result of smooth supply chain and logistics operations. Internet of things (IoT) artificial intelligence, including data mining, intensified in all fields of life, particularly in supply chain management and operations. Blockchain technology has the capability to reform the supply chain and logistics operations management. Blockchain provides digital database solutions for all transactions across supply chain and operations management. Radio frequency identification device (RFID) is also helping technology transmit electromagnetic waves to radio-compatible integrated circuits to look after and manage the entire supply chain and logistics operations management. The Fourth Industry Revolution 4.0 refers to the automation, interconnectivity, machine learning, and real-time data that help supply chain and logistics operations management in the 21st century.

Blockchain technology is being introduced gradually into supply chain management, addressing long-standing problems and waste-related parts of the industry. This study aims to illustrate the various ways that blockchain might improve supply chains' efficiency, traceability, security, and simplicity. Blockchain technology offers a permanent, decentralized record-keeping system that fosters honesty and trust between participants; all important data is stored in an unalterable manner. Additionally, supply chain processes like payment processing and inventory management are automated by intelligent contracts, which significantly lowers both human error and regulatory expenses. Blockchain's capacity to encrypt this data ensures a high level of security by guaranteeing information availability in the event of sophisticated cyber assaults. This increase in security makes the supply chain less vulnerable to sabotage and extortion. Through the provision of an easily accessible and verifiable record of every trade, this innovation significantly streamlines administrative compliance. Furthermore, it provides a means of confirming that the technical support standards and material sources adhere to current standards, which in turn helps to enhance customer trust in a brand and promote brand identity for the product bearing the brand mark. The study shows how blockchain technology has enhanced the capabilities of US logistics companies. It also looks at supply chain management's effectiveness and transparency in terms of blockchain technology implemented in the US.

This book aims to be a general overview of blockchain technology in supply chains, serves as an introduction to blockchain and its applications and demystifies the often-grey area of blockchain technology, reviewing its evolution and its future applications

Acceptance of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chains: A Model Proposal

As part of business and management studies, research works addressed blockchain technology (BCT) in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) first in 2016. Increasing levels of interest from researchers and practitioners alike have led to an increasing number of studies from both ends; however, a thorough bibliometric- and cocitation network analysis of BCT in LSCM research has not been carried out so far. To address this gap and to build a basis for future research endeavors, this article provides a bibliometric analysis on BCT, comprising data from 613 articles from academic supply chain research. It is therefore an easy-to-access entry point for academics and practitioners into the topic of BCT in LSCM. This study aims to understand the status of research of BCT in LSCM. To present the results, this article employs a bibliometric analysis methodology. It adopts a citation network analysis and a cocitation analysis. Based on a cocitation analysis, this article classifies the existing literature into five different research clusters, including theoretical sensemaking, conceptualizing and testing blockchain applications, framing BCT into supply chains, the technical design of BCT applications for real-world LSCM applications, and the role of BCT within digital supply chains.

This research investigates the optimal integration of Blockchain Technology (BT) in Supply Chain Management (SCM) within Chile’s maritime ports. Utilizing fuzzy Logarithmic Methodology of Additive Weights (LMAW) and Double Normalization-based Multiple Aggregation Methods (DNMA), the study systematically identifies, prioritizes, and ranks key factors influencing BT adoption in SCM. The study’s findings highlight crucial factors like enhanced transaction security, good supply chain practices, and risk management. Furthermore, it ranks the application of ports as prime candidates for BT integration. The research contributes theoretically by developing a hybrid model combining MCDA methods, and practically by guiding the strategic application of BT in the maritime logistics sector, aligning with the principles of Industry 5.0. This paper presents a novel approach that explores the utilization of BT in maritime supply chain management, incorporating MCDA in a vague environment. The research gap of this study lies in defining new contexts in both theoretical and practical literature reviews for extending the use of BT in SCM in the ports of Chile, according to Industry 5.0, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of all aspects of operations in these places. The contribution of this research is applying hybrid MCDA methods in an uncertain environment to assist decision-makers (DMs) in better implementing BT in SCM in Chilean ports, according to Industry 5.0.

Improving supply chain sustainability is an essential part of achieving the UN’s sustainable goals. Digitalization, such as blockchain technology, shows the potential to reshape supply chain management. Using distributed ledger technology, the blockchain platform provides a digital system and database to record the transactions along the supply chain. This decentralized database of transactions brings transparency, reliability, traceability, and efficiency to the supply chain management. This paper focuses on such novel blockchain-based supply chain management and its sustainability performances in the areas of environmental protection, social equity, and governance efficiency. Using a systematic literature review and two case studies, we evaluate whether the three sustainability indicators can be improved indirectly along supply chains based on blockchain technology. Our study shows that blockchain technology has the potential to improve supply chain sustainability performance, and we expect blockchain technology to rise in popularity in supply chain management.

PurposeThis paper aims to study social media (SM) role in detecting food supply chain management (SCM) challenges and the importance of the Blockchain technology (BCT) in presenting sustainable solutions to these challenges.Design/methodology/approachThis paper follows a big data analytics approach by using text mining techniques and raw data from X/Twitter and processed using the open-source programming language R.FindingsThis paper shows that SM generally and X/Twitter particularly play a major role in detecting FSC challenges and in shedding the light on trends and gaps in food supply chain (SC), along with the main actors on SM that influence food SCM. This study also shows that BCT is a convenient technology to reconsider the structure of food SCM to ensure higher food safety and a better digitalization of food SC, especially in the Asian region, with the large population and key consumers in food market.Originality/valueThis study contributes to data and knowledge that try to fill gaps in research related to the role of SM in detecting food SCM challenges through BCT.

In this paper, we examine the potential applications, drawbacks, and benefits of blockchain technology within the framework of supply chain management. This research examines the pertinent literature and does an empirical analysis to determine the potential impacts that blockchain technology may have on the operational and strategic components of supply chains. The findings of this poll indicate that a large number of people are interested in and aware about blockchain technology and its potential applications, including improving the efficiency, security, and transparency of supply chain operations. Obstacles include resistance to change, concerns about security, and a general ignorance of science. Researchers and experts in the field can benefit from the study's insightful observations on the present and potential applications of blockchain technology in supply chain management. Key ideas include supply chain management, blockchain, technology utilization, potential, and challenges.