Blockchain Papers

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537 papersLast indexed Aug 31, 2026
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Nov 3, 2022·International Journal of Operations & Production Management
73 cites
Why, where and how are organizations using blockchain in their supply chains? Motivations, application areas and contingency factors

Wafaa A.H. Ahmed, Bart L. MacCarthy, Horst Treiblmaier

Purpose Blockchain is increasingly being considered for applications in operations and supply chain management. However, evidence from practice is still scarce on why, where and how organizations seek to apply the technology in the supply chain across different industries. The study develops a comprehensive framework to enhance understanding of the application areas of blockchain technology in the supply chain, as well as organizations' motivations in seeking blockchain solutions and relevant contingency factors influencing applications. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigate 50 use cases of blockchain applications in the supply chain, covering six industries. Contingency theory is applied in conducting a qualitative textual and correlation analysis to identify and compare blockchain adoption motivations, application areas and contingency factors across different industries. Findings The analysis develops an evidence-based framework that captures ten principal motivations in seeking blockchain solutions, three main blockchain application areas along with important application sub-categories and five clusters of contingency factors that influence blockchain deployment and its uses in different industrial sectors. Research limitations/implications The study expands the limited cross-sectoral research on blockchain applications and motivations in the supply chain. Using contingency theory, it presents a comprehensive framework that captures the drivers and factors relating to blockchain adoption in the supply chain in a nomological network. The study lays the foundation for further theoretical perspectives and empirical research to investigate relevant sectoral characteristics and their importance for different types of blockchain application in the supply chain. Practical implications The study informs practitioners about potential supply chain application areas that can be enhanced through blockchain technology, taking account of the specific characteristics of their products, business and manufacturing processes, supply network configurations, industry standards, regulations and market demand. Originality/value The study is the first to provide cross-sectoral evidence on the relevance of organizations' motivations and numerous contingency factors on blockchain application areas in the supply chain.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Oct 31, 2022·International Journal of Computing and Digital Systems
10 cites
Design and Deployment of IoT enabled Blockchain based resilient Supply-chain Management System using Ethereum

Ayaskanta Mishra, Sayan Karmakar, Ankita Dutta, Ankush Bose · 5 authors

With exponential growth of digital consumer purchasing behavior and the increasing implementation of IoT in retail industry, it has become imperative to provide secure, scalable, and manageable data models to the complex interconnected supply chain management systems.Blockchain technology in recent times has huge potential for deployment of secured data framework over a distributed architecture.In this paper, we have proposed a resilient Supply-Chain Management (SCM) system using Ethereum-based blockchain deployment on a distributed computing test-bed.An IoT-based Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) method is used in our use-case prototype for product information tracking at functional nodes (Manufacturers, Distributors, Retailers and Consumers) of SCM implementation.We have implemented Ethereum T M based blockchain using S olidity T M smart contracts with the help of Remix T M Web-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE).A python-based PyAutoGui is used for automation in blockchain deployment at multiple functional nodes distributed across the supply chain.As proof of concept, we have created a test-bed having 28 Oracle virtual machines (VMs) using Linux for successful implementation and validation of our proposed blockchain based SCM system.We have presented comprehensive results showing Ethereum-blockchain containing complete product information, transactions and tracking for secured information access with distributed digital ledger technology on our test-bed implementation.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
IoT and Edge/Fog Computing
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Oct 18, 2022·Sustainability
26 cites
Supply Chain Finance and Blockchain in Operations Management: A Literature Review

Yu Gong, Yun Zhang, Mohammed Alharithi

The emerging blockchain technology is believed to be a disruptive innovation in the fields of both supply chain management and financial management. Yet, little is known on the interaction of the two domains. In this paper, we conducted a thematic literature review in the novel field of blockchain and supply chain finance (SCF), which is based on 52 papers published from 2017 to 2021 in academic journals, proceedings and books. Based on thematic analysis, the current status of this field is concluded and presented in this research, including the challenges in traditional SCF, factors influencing blockchain adoption in SCF, blockchain-based SCF solutions, and the blockchain adoption mechanism and system design in SCF. Furthermore, a conceptual framework of blockchain adoption in SCF is developed, which combines the emerged themes. Finally, three future research directions are proposed for further research, including cost optimization of blockchain adoption in SCF, risk management of blockchain operations in SCF, and blockchain and sustainable SCF. This research presents a timely and useful summary on existing research and points out the future research directions on blockchain and SCF.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Oct 17, 2022·IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems
73 cites
High-Efficiency Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Traceability

Hanqing Wu, Shan Jiang, Jiannong Cao

Supply chain traceability refers to product tracking from the source to customers, demanding transparency, authenticity, and high efficiency. In recent years, blockchain has been widely adopted in supply chain traceability to provide transparency and authenticity, while the efficiency issue is understudied. In practice, as the numerous product records accumulate, the time- and storage- efficiencies will decrease remarkably. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first work studying the efficiency issue in blockchain-based supply chain traceability. Compared to the traditional method, which searches the records stored in a single chunk sequentially, we replicate the records in multiple chunks and employ parallel search to boost the time efficiency. However, allocating the record searching primitives to the chunks with maximized parallelization ratio is challenging. To this end, we model the records and chunks as a bipartite graph and solve the allocation problem using a maximum matching algorithm. The experimental results indicate that the time overhead can be reduced by up to 85.1% with affordable storage overhead.

Open access
2 source records
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Food Supply Chain Traceability
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Oct 16, 2022·Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research
22 cites
Blockchain-Driven Optimal Strategies for Supply Chain Finance Based on a Tripartite Game Model

Limin Su, Yongchao Cao, Huimin Li, Jian Tan

Applying blockchain to supply chain financing is an effective way to solve the problems of financing difficulties, high financing costs, and slow financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMZEs). Using evolutionary game theory, this study constructs a tripartite game model and analyzes the influence of blockchain technology on the evolutionary stability strategies for financial institutions (FIs), core enterprises (CEs), and SMZEs, in which the default losses of CEs and SMZEs are assumed to be dynamic. The results of this study are as follows: (1) When CEs and SMZESs’ default losses are lower than some critical value, they tend to break their promises. (2) When accounts receivable are greater than some critical value, CEs cannot repay on time because they can make a relatively large profits from delayed repayment, whereas SMZEs can be constrained to be trustworthy. Finally, the results using numerical simulation show that both relatively large default losses and enough large, trustworthy income sources can make CEs and SMZEs tend to keep their promises; in turn, CEs would be non-paying and the SMZEs tend to be trustworthy for relatively large accounts receivable. The results provide theoretical support for realizing healthy and sustainable development for supply chain finance.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Original source
Sep 27, 2022·Information
28 cites
Research on Factors Affecting SMEs’ Credit Risk Based on Blockchain-Driven Supply Chain Finance

Ping Xiao, Mad Ithnin bin Salleh, Jieling Cheng

The development of blockchain-driven supply chain finance aimed to solve the financing problems of SMEs. However, credit risk is expanded, and even transmitted to the whole supply chain, due to their connection, so that it becomes more difficult to effectively identify the credit risk of SMEs. The purpose of this paper was to examine the factors affecting SMEs’ credit risk in the mode of block-chain-driven supply chain finance. This research proposed an entropy weight method to construct independent variables and used logistic regression to examine whether the financing enterprises, core enterprises, assets position under financing, blockchain platform, and supply chain operation have significant impacts on credit risk. The panel data, originating from CSMAR on fifty-six quoted SMEs, included eight core enterprises and twenty-six blockchain enterprises, between 2016 and 2020. The results showed that the financing enterprises, core enterprises, asset position under fi-nance, blockchain platform, and supply chain operation have significant impacts on SMEs’ credit risk when the confidence level is 90%. The financial status of financing enterprises can reflect the credit status of SMEs. Core enterprises give credit guarantees to SMEs, and the business transactions between SMEs and core enterprises affect the credit risk through the asset position under financing. Meanwhile, blockchain platforms can solve the problem of the information asymmetry of the par-ticipating enterprises in supply chain operations. At the same time, the supply chain operation is also an important factor affecting the credit risk. This conclusion provides a reference for the ap-plication of blockchains in supply chains, to reduce the credit risk. At the same time, the selected indicators were more comprehensive, which provided a strong basis for the subsequent construc-tion of a credit risk assessment model using key factors.

Open access
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Sep 23, 2022·Operations Management Research
34 cites
Blockchain as enabling factor for implementing RFID and IoT technologies in VMI: a simulation on the Parmigiano Reggiano supply chain

Antonello Cammarano, Vincenzo Varriale, Francesca Michelino, Mauro Caputo

Abstract Blockchain has recently been associated to Supply Chain Management to solve several problems and change operations management processes. The study proposes to analyse three different scenarios of the Parmigiano Reggiano supply chain considering blockchain technology as an enabler for the use of other technologies such as RFID and the Internet of Things (IoT) and for the exploitation of the Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) strategy. The study is based on the evaluation of three agent-based simulation scenarios, a traditional "as is" scenario, a second "to be" scenario implementing emerging technologies including blockchain, and a third “to be” scenario that combines the second one with the VMI optimization strategy. The results show how the combined adoption of these technologies improves the procurement process and customer satisfaction. Findings highlight the impacts that the different scenarios have on the supply chain operations in a quantitative way and allows to evaluate the changes in supply chain processes. By employing emerging technologies, order management activities are more automated and time to order and lead time order preparation are reduced. However, to achieve these performances, other data capture tools such as RFID and IoT are needed. Finally, the introduction of the VMI strategy, when enabled by blockchain technology, improves the procurement performances and significantly reduces unfilled orders.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
Original source
Sep 19, 2022·Mathematical Problems in Engineering
3 cites
Supply Chain Coordination with Capital-Constrained and Loss Aversion Retailer under Stochastic Demand and Supply

Lu Yueli, Shi Lu, Zhao Xueyun

In the face of increasingly complex market environment, supply chain members pay attention to the possibility of obtaining expected profits and various risks while considering profit maximization. The behaviors of decision makers are often influenced by their psychological preferences, and loss aversion is one of the basic characteristics of human economic behavior. We research the supply chain coordination problem with capital constraint and loss-averse retailer in the case of stochastic production and demand. In order to address the loss aversion, a novel utility function is structured according to the theory of mental account. Under wholesale price contract, the optimal expected utility of supply chain under decentralized decision is smaller than that under centralized decision due to the retailer’s constrained capital. Based on that, a model is constructed by making revenue sharing contract act as the dual role of supply chain coordination and delayed payment strategy without seeking external financing or internal financing, and the contract conditions and optimal decisions of the coordinated supply chain are solved. Theoretical analysis indicates that when the contract parameters are properly selected, even though the retailer’s capital is constrained, the revenue sharing contract can not only coordinate the supply chain but also realize the arbitrary distribution of supply chain profits within a certain range. Finally, the change of decision variables and expected utility or profit with contract parameters is analyzed by several numerical examples.

Open access
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
Original source
Sep 15, 2022·The International Journal of Digital Accounting Research
8 cites
Ledger to ledger: off- and on-chain auditing of stablecoin

Rubens Moura de Carvalho, Helena Inácio, Rui Pedro Marques

To assess the financial statements of companies that invest in stablecoin, a digital representation of a fiat currency managed and backed by a blockchain, the auditor must collect evidence of transactions from the blockchain (on-chain) or from an off-chain ledger managed by an intermediary. This study aims to expand the understanding of such transactions, outline possible configurations for the recognition of stablecoin balances and transactions in financial statements, and audit procedures for collecting evidence of these transactions. Based on actual transactions of stablecoin registered on the Ethereum blockchain, we present a hypothetical case of the accounting history of an audited company to demonstrate the challenges in establishing accounting and audit procedures for these novel transactions. We observe an abundance, diversity, and unprecedentedness in the stablecoin transactions studied. We further identify the need to adapt current audit procedures and create new ones, and rethink the very process of doing so. The findings could help auditors obtain more significant knowledge of the information required to assess a company’s financial statements when such statements include stablecoin transactions. In addition, the study addresses the evolving relationship between auditing, accounting, and information technology, and the problems in integrating accounting and information technology.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Sep 9, 2022·Blockchain Research and Applications
34 cites
The implications of blockchain-coordinated information sharing within a supply chain: A simulation study

Aaliya Sarfaraz, Ripon K. Chakrabortty, Daryl Essam

The profitability of a supply chain (SC) is proportional to the stability of all its stakeholders as well as their consistent information sharing with an effective and efficient communication mechanism. Various inefficiencies, such as the bullwhip effect (BWE) and product unavailability, may be caused by a lack of coordination in an SC. The importance of sharing consumer demand has been quantified by comprehensive studies under the assumption that all SC participants will access the same information. However, only a few studies have studied the effect of minimal coordination or limited visibility of information while considering their effect on the overall efficiency of an SC. This work primarily leverages blockchain technology (BCT) to create a simulation model. To do this, an SC BWE-based model is initially developed. Following that, a blockchain-based robust information sharing system is simulated. Furthermore, information sharing is challenging, and SC stakeholders may not really trust each other and hence be reluctant to share sensitive information. Considering that, this paper propose an improved proof-of-authority (PoA) consensus algorithm that will increase trust in a decentralized SC model. Multiple experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, and the simulation results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of information sharing in a supply chain via blockchain, as well as that trust between partners tends to increase overall SC efficiency and reduce BWE.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Original source
Sep 9, 2022·Technological Forecasting and Social Change
111 cites
Managing a blockchain-based platform ecosystem for industry-wide adoption: The case of TradeLens

Marin Jovanovic, Nikola Kostić, Ina M. Sebastian, Tomaz Sedej

The proliferation of blockchain-based platform ecosystems in recent years has prompted scholars across various disciplines to explore the conditions leading to their successful deployment. However, developing a blockchain-based platform ecosystem creates various challenges for the platform sponsor that may influence industry-wide adoption and, ultimately, the platform's success. This study follows the development of TradeLens, a leading global shipping platform ecosystem underpinned by blockchain technology. We examine the factors affecting industry-wide adoption among global supply chain actors by unpacking platform value drivers and platform governance mechanisms identified at TradeLens. While the platform value hinges on the digitalization of workflows and the ecosystem leverage, the platform governance includes strategic (off-chain), technology (on-chain), and interoperability (on- and off-chain) governance – as mechanisms for effectively managing a blockchain-based platform ecosystem. This paper contributes to the literature on blockchain-based platform ecosystems and the platform literature.

Open access
2 source records
Digital Platforms and Economics
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Aug 31, 2022·Regional Science Policy & Practice
35 cites
Vertical coordination in agri‐food supply chain and blockchain: A proposed framework solution for Vietnamese cashew nut business

Thanh Tuan Chu, Thi Thu Tra Pham

The agri-food supply chain has been a popular research topic in recent years. The combination of a demand for products of high quality and safety standards and the increasing number of stakeholders in supply chain networks has required the agri-food business to transform from vertically integrated to vertically operated supply chain networks. Nevertheless, this traditional agri-food supply chain form has exposure to some drawbacks. Meanwhile, blockchain technology as a disruptive technology today has the potential to provide value-added contributions towards multiple-disciplinary applications. Blockchain technology gains success and proves its functionality in improving the current supply chain by ensuring traceability, transparency and efficiency across the network from farmer to consumer. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on vertical coordination in the supply chain and its mechanism and to develop a framework that explores how blockchain technology can address the challenges in coordination mechanisms. Furthermore, taking the current Vietnamese vertical coordination cashew supply chain as a case study, this research is based on the proposed framework to suggest a solution combining blockchain and other relative technologies for the Vietnamese cashew business. This paper will close a research gap, as the blockchain-based supply chain for Vietnam cashew nuts has potential benefits for each supply chain actor in terms of effectiveness in operations, costs and time-saving, and human resources.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
Original source
Aug 30, 2022·Supply Chain Management An International Journal
58 cites
Beyond the hype: how blockchain affects supply chain performance

Sven Markus, Paul Buijs

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to the debate about the value of blockchain for supply chain management by assessing empirical evidence on the relationship between blockchain and supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a structured review of the academic literature to identify and assess papers providing empirical insight on operational blockchain applications. The authors complement the findings from this review with primary empirical data from 11 interviews with blockchain providers, users and experts involved in four recent projects. Findings The paper presents an integrated research framework that illustrates the impact of blockchain on supply chain performance. The findings highlight that blockchain can affect supply chain performance directly – via one of its core technological features – and indirectly via the broader business project through which blockchain technology is implemented. Practical implications Insights from this paper should provide managers with a more nuanced understanding of how blockchain technology can be leveraged to address important supply chain management challenges. Originality/value Prior research addressing the relationship between blockchain and supply chain performance mostly discusses potential performance effects of blockchain, presents individual blockchain applications and/or provides little explanation for how the core technological features of blockchain affect supply chain performance. This paper systematically assesses the ways in which blockchain can affect supply chain performance. In doing so, it goes beyond the initial hype around blockchain technology while countering some of the more recent critiques.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Aug 29, 2022·Kybernetes
111 cites
A paradigm of blockchain and supply chain performance: a mediated model using structural equation modeling

Aamir Rashid, Syed Baber Ali, Rizwana Rasheed, Noor Aina Amirah · 5 authors

Purpose This paper aims to find the impact of blockchain supply chain on supply chain performance with a mediating role of supplier trust, traceability and transparency. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected using the purposive sampling technique on a five-point Likert scale from 150 respondents. For data analysis, IBM SPSS and Smart PLS 3.3.7 were used to test the hypotheses by evaluating the structural equation modeling. Findings The blockchain supply chain found a significant effect on supply chain performance. Moreover, there is a substantial effect of the blockchain supply chain on supply chain performance via mediators, including supplier trust, supply chain traceability and supply chain transparency. Further, the mediation type of all mediators was full mediation in the relationships between blockchain supply chain and supply chain performance. Research limitations/implications The research findings are helpful for industrialists, supply chain practitioners and policymakers. The practitioners can adopt blockchain technology to enhance inter-organizational collaboration, develop trust, data visibility and traceability, and critical decisions, ultimately bringing sustainable growth for the firm. Originality/value The outcomes of this research enrich the literature and share the impact of one of the most trending technologies in the supply chain perspective. Future research can empirically test the relationship between blockchain and supply chain sustainability.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Aug 18, 2022·Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research
60 cites
Blockchain Technology as an Ecosystem: Trends and Perspectives in Accounting and Management

Thomas Kitsantas, Evangelos Chytis

A plethora of studies have examined the emerging technology of blockchain and its applications in accounting, management, and enterprise resource planning systems (ERPs). Blockchain technology (BT) can change the architecture of today’s ERPs and overcome the limitations of these centralized systems. The aim of this study is twofold. First, this paper defines and analyzes the deployment of an innovative architecture of a Blockchain as an Ecosystem (BaaE) platform proposing a conceptual model of the Triple Entry Accounting (TEA) transforming the current accounting practices. Second, the paper explores the integration of cost management, supply chain, and inventory management on BT providing the significant challenges and benefits and suggesting an agenda for future research. The authors conduct an exploratory qualitative analysis of an extensive body of literature, from 81 journals. The paper’s innovative contribution and primary objective is to explore, address, and employ this emerging BaaE platform technology that could potentially be integrated with TEA. Further, the study examines the theoretical, technical, and business aspects regarding TEA, since there is limited research evidence in this field. Additionally, the study tries to identify the implications of BaaE in the area of cost management, supply chain, and inventory management from an ecosystem perspective. This effort can assist organizations and practitioners in understanding and further examining this emerging technology.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Aug 8, 2022·Journal of Software Evolution and Process
45 cites
Towards roadmap to implement blockchain in healthcare systems based on a maturity model

Muhammad Azeem Akbar, Víctor Leiva, Saima Rafi, Syed Furqan Qadri · 6 authors

Abstract Healthcare systems face various issues related to complex networks of intermediaries and a lack of transaction traceability. The most critical issues are the fragmentation of healthcare data, obstacles in providing efficient research and services, lack of clinical trial reporting, high cost and mismanagement of the drug supply chain, patient data security, and fake drugs. Blockchain technology has the potential to address these criticalities as it has in build traceability mechanisms and promises new business models by enabling incentive structures. This potential of blockchain gathers a high interest in the health industry. However, the implementation of blockchain in healthcare faces various issues as well. Currently, there are no practice‐oriented maturity models to improve such an implementation. In this paper, we present a roadmap to develop a maturity model for blockchain in healthcare (MMBH) based on critical barriers (CBs), critical success factors (CSFs), and the best practices for blockchain implementation in healthcare systems. As a first step to develop the MMBH, in this paper, we present the initial results of a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify critical success factors for implementing blockchain in healthcare systems. We also applied fuzzy technique order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to prioritize the identified CSFs.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Big Data and Business Intelligence
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Jul 20, 2022·Electronic Commerce Research
102 cites
Barriers to blockchain adoption for supply chain finance: the case of Indian SMEs

Jaspreet Kaur, Satish Kumar, Balkrishna E. Narkhede, Marina Dabić · 6 authors

Abstract Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India are suffering from the long-standing challenges related to asymmetric information, high transaction costs, SMEs’ opacity and limited access to credit. Blockchain technology, which is still in its infancy in terms of adoption in India, can facilitate SMEs to counter these challenges. Fuelled by this motivation, the study aims to investigate the significant barriers to blockchain adoption in supply chain finance practices by Indian SMEs. Using fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process, sensitivity analysis, and fuzzy-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory this paper identifies the blockchain barriers, prioritises them and examine their cause and effect relationships. The results of the study indicate that technology barriers are the most influential barriers that impede blockchain adoption. The findings will help the policymakers and practitioners to take suitable measures to overcome these barriers and fuel the adoption of blockchain in Indian SMEs.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Jul 18, 2022·International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research
10 cites
Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management

Mustafa Rehman Khan, Fazeelat Masood, Irum Gul, Muhammad Rahies Khan

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to investigate blockchain technology in supply chain management. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to blockchain technology in supply chain management. Preliminary empirical review revealed that blockchain technology significantly transformed supply chain management by enhancing transparency, traceability, and efficiency. The immutable ledger and decentralized nature of blockchain provided a robust framework for addressing traditional supply chain challenges, such as fraud, errors, and inefficiencies. The technology’s ability to automate processes through smart contracts streamlined operations and reduced costs. However, challenges such as high initial investments, scalability issues, and the need for industry-wide standards were identified as barriers to widespread adoption. The study emphasized the importance of continued research to address these challenges and refine blockchain applications in supply chain management. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Theory of Transaction Cost Economics, Resource-Based View (RBV) of the Firm and Agency Theory may be used to anchor future studies on blockchain technology in supply chain management. The study recommended expanding theoretical frameworks to better incorporate blockchain technology's unique aspects into supply chain theories. Practically, organizations were advised to conduct pilot projects and phased rollouts to evaluate blockchain's impact before large-scale implementation, and to invest in training for effective technology management. Policy recommendations included the development of regulatory frameworks and industry standards to facilitate blockchain adoption. Collaboration among industry stakeholders was encouraged to address integration challenges and standardize solutions. Further research into specific applications and the integration of blockchain with other technologies was suggested, alongside investment in education and training programs for supply chain professionals.

Open access
4 source records
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
Original source
Jul 18, 2022·IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management
8 cites
A Dynamic Service Trading in a DLT-Assisted Industrial IoT Marketplace

Jiejun Hu, Martin J. Reed, Nikolaos Thomos, Mays Al-Naday · 5 authors

With the increasing demand for digitalization and participation in Industry 4.0, new challenges have emerged concerning the market of digital services to compensate for the lack of processing, computation, and other resources within Industrial Internet of Things (IIoTs). At the same time, the complexity of interplay among stakeholders has grown in size, granularity, and variation of trust. In this paper, we consider an IIoT resource market with heterogeneous buyers such as manufacturer owners. The buyers interact with the resource supplier dynamically with specific resource demands. This work introduces a broker between the supplier and the buyers, equipped with Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) providing a service for market security and trustworthiness. We first model the DLT-assisted IIoT market analytically to determine an offline solution and understand the selfish interactions among different entities (buyers, supplier, broker). Considering the non-cooperative heterogeneous buyers in the dynamic market, we then follow an independent learners framework to determine an online solution. In particular, the decision-making procedures of buyers are modeled as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process which is solved using independent Q-learning. We evaluate both the offline and online solutions with analytical simulations, and the results show that the proposed approaches successfully maximize players’ satisfaction. The results further demonstrate that independent Q-learners achieve equilibrium in a dynamic market even without the availability of complete information and communication, and reach a better solution compared to that of centralized Q-learning.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
IoT and Edge/Fog Computing
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Jul 1, 2022·IEEE Engineering Management Review
14 cites
Blockchain Impacts on Global Supply Chain Operational and Managerial Business Value Processes

Pedro Reyes, Michael Gravier, Patrick Jaska, John K. Visich

The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of blockchain on global supply chain operational and managerial processes. This article reviews and classifies the existing empirical evidence of blockchain applications in the global suppbly chain. We utilize the Mooneyet al.framework to organize this evidence into operational and managerial business value processes and the effects—automational, informational, and transformational. Our findings indicate that blockchain is not following the Mooneyet al.stage model proposed in 1996 since the empirical evidence is evenly spread between the three effect categories. In addition, we have identified possible reasons why blockchain is not following the Mooneyet al.stage model. Our study concludes with nine propositions as a guide on how to facilitate blockchain deployment and future research. Limitations of this article concerning blockchain are the lack of consistency and understanding of standards and the lack of information on blockchain implementation, which is referred to as the“grey space.”Blockchain today is where radio-frequency identification (RFID) was in 2002 and the bar code was in 1980. Therefore, future research work could be expanded to investigate case studies of blockchain implementations as they become available across the global supply chain. For practitioners, the empirical evidence presented in this article can help identify applications and implementation steps for building the business case where blockchain can have a greater impact on the organization. This article fills a void in the literature by providing practitioners and academics with a better understanding of blockchain and its applications for implementation.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Original source
Jul 1, 2022·Sustainability
36 cites
Can Blockchain Be a Basis to Ensure Transparency in an Agricultural Supply Chain?

Sarah Katharina Kraft, Florian Kellner

Many supply chains within developing countries lack transparency and are fraught with fraud, corruption, and a substantial number of intermediaries. For several decades, the cocoa sector has faced multiple social, economic, and environmental challenges, some of which include the issue of child labor and very low incomes for farmers, leading to poor living conditions. Blockchain technology has a high potential to reduce—or completely eradicate—some of these hurdles. In this article, we present a blockchain-based solution based on the open-source framework Hyperledger Fabric for the cocoa supply chain to promote transparency and reduce fraud. In doing so, we explicitly describe how farmers can be directly integrated into the whole blockchain solution considering the limited infrastructure, knowledge, and technologies available to them. Since about 70% of all cocoa worldwide is produced in West Africa, this case study uses the cocoa sector in Ghana as an example.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source
Jun 27, 2022·Scientia et PRAXIS
2 cites
Valor y precio de los Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) un estudio bibliométrico

Ismael Loza-Vega

Propósito. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo identificar la literatura científica existente en torno al valor y precio de los NFTs. Metodología. La metodología utilizada en el presente artículo consta de un análisis bibliométrico, se usa la base de datos Scopus desde la primera aparicion de un artículo hasta la actualidad. Hallazgos. Los resultados muestran que existe muy poca literatura científica entorno al valor y precio de los NFTs, se logró identificar ocho artículos, en donde solamente tres contribuyen en su totalidad a la descripción de las variables valor y precio, además se encuentran variables incidentes en el valor y precio de los NFTs lo que llevaría a tener el potencial de generar nuevo conocimiento en este ámbito, realizar propuestas teóricas en modelos de valuación y precio para estos activos. Originalidad.La investigación se realizó considerando solamente a la base de datos Scopus utilizando el software VosViewr, se recomienda para futuras investigaciones tomar en cuenta otras bases de datos.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Market Dynamics and Volatility
Original source
Jun 26, 2022·Mathematics
18 cites
Decisions for Blockchain Adoption and Information Sharing in a Low Carbon Supply Chain

Tianjian Yang, LI Chun-mei, Xiongping Yue, Beibei Zhang

Enterprises in low-carbon supply chains have been exploring blockchain technology in order to make carbon data transparent. However, there is still some opaque information in the market, such as the value-added service efficiency. How do supply chain members make decisions between information sharing and blockchain adoption? This study considers blockchain adoption and information sharing in a low-carbon supply chain with a single manufacturer and a single retailer. The retailer has private information about value-added services and decides how to share it with the manufacturer. We examine six combined strategies comprised of blockchain scenarios and information sharing formats (no sharing, voluntary sharing, and mandatory sharing). The results indicate that supply chain members prefer blockchain technology under no sharing and voluntary sharing. Under mandatory sharing, supply chain members have incentives to participate in blockchain when the value-added service efficiency exceeds a threshold value. While the manufacturer prefers to obtain the value-added service information, the retailer decides to share information depending on the value-added service efficiency. Besides, supply chain members’ attitude toward the sharing contract also depends on the value-added service efficiency.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Original source