Blockchain-Based Supply Chain System-A Proof of Concept for the Coffee Industry

Abstract

A supply chain is a logistic system that converts raw materials into finished products and distributes them to customers. The system usually consists of material producers, factories, organisations, sellers, consumers as well as transportation. Data and information such as manufacturing data and shipment data also form an important part of the supply chain system and is usually maintained centrally by one entity. Centralisation can cause several problems in supply chain system management, such as single point of failure, corruption, and data tampering. Blockchain has for the past years emerged as a decentralised technology that can help solve the problem of centralisation. The research, therefore, explores the feasibility of using blockchain technology in the supply chain system focusing on coffee produce and shipment. We analyse the suitability of blockchain to the supply chain. We then designed and implemented a smart contract using Solidity, which runs on an Ethereum-based blockchain to show that supply chain data can be traced and blockchain can be used for supply chain purposes.