Harmful product producers, such as alcohol companies, are exploring and already active in the metaverse [1]. Much in the same way as alcohol companies have used digital media platforms to embed alcohol into young people's lives [2-7] and shape behaviour through an all-encompassing marketing environment [8], alcohol company activities in the metaverse that similarly foster excessive consumption and addictive behaviour [9] may pose new and greater risks for young people and other vulnerable groups, accelerating the need for a regulatory response to alcohol marketing. The simplest way to describe the metaverse is as an immersive next-generation version of the internet using virtual or augmented reality technology [10]. The metaverse is a digital immersive reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (a digital overlay projected on the real world) [10], virtual reality (accessed using a headset to see and operate within a digital world) and cryptocurrencies [11, 12]. It is a fast-evolving collection of interactions, technologies and business models that will look very different from today's internet [13]. While the metaverse is still young, in the future there may be numerous sophisticated metaverses, providing the infrastructure, especially bandwidth, can be developed to support them [12]. The metaverse will be an observable digital universe made up of millions of digital galaxies (metaverses/platforms) [14]. Each metaverse will likely be designed based on the needs it serves, for example, Meta (previously Facebook) anticipates friends socialising [15] while others envision a place parallel to the physical world where you spend your digital life [16]. The metaverse will offer innovative and expansive economic opportunities for corporations and users alike. The ultimate vision for the metaverse is a world that has its own fully functioning economy, jobs and shopping centres [17] or, in other words, platforms for human leisure, labour and existence in general [10]. Metaverses in which alcohol companies are active will be relevant for public health. Alcohol corporations are developing innovative ways of embedding alcohol into consumers' lives in the metaverse [18]. They were early movers in previous digital technologies and similarly are engaging with the metaverse in its development. Not only will alcohol advertising be more immersive compared to social media platforms and therefore more impactful, but also young people and other vulnerable groups such as those on a path to becoming heavy drinkers will likely be targeted for advertising, much as they are now in social media digital spaces but with expanded access to and analysis of their individual data. These can include the use of biometrics such as heart rate, tracking eye movement and pupil dilation, which are required to produce the immersive experience of virtual reality but can also be used to identify a user's interests and buying preferences [19]. The metaverse can facilitate the integration of virtual and real-life consumption experiences. Like social media, the metaverse may utilise targeted advertising and consumer participation, integrating them with purchasing [20-22] and delivery in real-time to consumers. One company has already linked their virtual drinks to their real-world products where buyers are sent a six-bottle case of actual vodka [23]. These processes will likely be enhanced in the metaverse as e-commerce will evolve into i-commerce (immersive commerce) [13]. Users (as avatars) will be able to enter a virtual alcohol shop or wine retailer and interact with the store avatar. Each bottle will tell you about itselfâbefore you make a physical decision to purchase [13], after which a rapid delivery service may deliver alcohol to your location. Rapid online alcohol delivery is already expanding in many countries and is of concern as it is under-regulated [24]. Consumers will be able to go to virtual bars and buy virtual drinks [25]. Miller Lite is opening its first virtual bar and Heineken has opened a virtual brewery in Decentraland [26, 27]. Young consumers are already interacting in virtual bars in the metaverse [23]. The metaverse can allow for enhanced engagement with alcohol marketing. Engagement with merchandise will be facilitated by branded items being created in collaboration with upcoming Non Fungible Tokens artists (Non Fungible Tokens are blockchain-based tokens that each represent a unique asset like a piece of art, digital content, media or land title) [11], as well as new ways to encourage engagement via consumer-driven and viral advertising [28]. Brands do not necessarily expect the end result to be an immediate purchase; the bigger win is the chance to build a brand pathway, develop a relationship and engage in deeper dialogue with audiences that turns users into followers, customers and, hopefully 1 day, brand evangelists [29]. The metaverse could boost the impact of techniques already used by marketers. Influencers on social media have the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of their authority and popularity [30]. The metaverse will allow influencers to interact in 3D, to hold alcohol-branded events, concerts or virtual parties. Celebrities, famous musicians and users could be invited and attend. The power of influencers, paid for by alcohol companies, is likely to be magnified in an immersive environment and the metaverse will provide new ways to âinfluenceâ. Manipulation exploiting psychology and our reward system could be used in the metaverse [31] given these tactics are already employed on social media [9, 32]. One example is dark advertising exploiting cognitive bias [33] or dark patterns to create a cycle that provides unpredictability, which gives consumers dopamine hits [34]. In social media these are likes and shares, or the excitement of seeing what's new in the feed. In the metaverse, there will be unpredictability in 3D [34]. Unpredictability can include attending an alcohol branded concert or alcohol sponsored party to meet celebrities. Consumers can be a part of any exciting event they choose, which can then elevate dopamine levels [34]. The âaddiction by designâ techniques already harnessed on social media by global industries producing harmful products [9] will likely become more innovative and exacerbated in the metaverse. Behavioural scientists have raised the need to scrutinise the development of the metaverse given the enhancement of the negative aspects of social media [34] and because commercial interests have also recognised the potential impact of these concerns and responded accordingly. The social media platforms most involved in the development of the metaverse, including Facebook, now renamed Meta, have recognised the potential concerns of regulators in relation to issues such as data privacy. Facebook has established a research fund to collaborate with âpolicymakers, experts and industry partners to build the âmetaverseâ in a responsible mannerâ. This includes engaging with academic institutions on issues such as biometrics and human computer interaction and privacy models in the context of wearables such as virtual reality headsets [35]. While the metaverse is still in its early stages of development, public health needs to understand the metaverse. How will producers of harmful products target, engage and capture the attention of young people in the metaverse? What will the health impacts be? Or will young people drink less because they spend their time in the metaverse engaged in other activities, such as investing in Non Fungible Tokens or property, or socialising? Public health also needs to learn lessons from the failures to regulate alcohol on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and social media generally. Many metaverses are being developed by private companies in the current unregulated environment, which means the problems we have regulating technology companies now could be reproduced and amplified in the metaverse [36]. Relying on self-regulation by corporations has been shown to be ineffective [37]. Prohibiting alcohol marketers from using user-generated content and distributing content that is intended to be shared by consumers, such as in Finland, does not affect marketers' ability to increase consumer engagementâthe most important aspect of marketing in terms of effectiveness [38]. While some countries have bans on alcohol marketing online including social media, no good evaluations have been completed [39]. Other metaverses are user owned, where users may have the rights to sell direct ads [40] and it is not known how these could be regulated. Policy makers need to understand the metaverse and the potential challenges it poses to public health. Early research documenting developments is needed to avoid the same failure to act in time, as happened with social media [36]. While early engagement with the creators and owners of metaverses may lead to enhanced user safety, it is more likely government regulation will be needed, including a global treaty. What is certain is that we cannot let the metaverse develop unscrutinised, nor without effective strategies to protect the health and well-being of young people. Taisia Huckle: Conceptualisation; writing â original draft. Sally Casswell: Conceptualisation; writing â review and editing. Open access publishing facilitated by Massey University, as part of the Wiley - Massey University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. None.
Purpose Creating visibility in the supply chain (SC) helps in making it resilient. Integrating the SC with Industry 4.0 key enabling technologies creates visibility and sustainability in SCs. It also fosters intelligent decision-making, thereby making a SC smart. However, how Industry 4.0 technologies affect key performance indicators (KPIs) of a resilient SC and may help achieve sustainability is rarely studied. Design/methodology/approach Sixteen KPIs were identified from the literature review and analyzed using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) using expert opinions. Further, a sensitivity analysis was conducted for the KPIs by varying the weightage of the criteria. Later, KPIs results were analyzed, and (1) how and which Industry 4.0 technology helps improve the KPI? (2) Resilience relationship with sustainability? were discussed. Findings The analyses show that the time-oriented (TO) is an essential criterion and organizational (OR) is the less important comparatively. Lead time, time to market and risk assessment frequency are the top KPIs that need a focus. Blockchain, Big Data and Cyber-physical systems enhance KPI's value and, in turn, foster economic, environmental and social sustainability of the SC and help in better decision making in terms of smart contracts, better forecasting and enhanced real-time information sharing. Originality/value Identification of the KPIs, the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies and the impact on sustainability; this kind of interplay is rarely evident in the literature. Understanding the findings of this research will help managers develop smart systems that may work intelligently to overcome risks associated and enhance sustainability. Academicians can use the findings and conduct future research that can overcome the limitations of this research.
It is critical to identify ways to successfully implement blockchain which can transform the operations of shipping companies in the coming years. In this light, this study aims to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) of blockchain implementation using a comprehensive theory-driven approach, which is largely ignored by previous studies. The theoretical model is grounded on the synthesis of diffusion of innovation, resource-based view, institutional theory, stakeholder theory and technology-organization-environment framework. Correspondingly, five main-criteria and seventeen sub-criteria are identified. Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is applied to rank the CSFs based on the feedback from experienced managers and directors working in maritime shipping companies. The findings show that in descending order of importance, the top five sub-criteria of blockchain implementation are relative advantage, internal leadership, human resources capability, scalability and ease of use. This study has provided a novel theoretical framework for blockchain CSFs research, offered strategy formulation in relation to marketing, technological skills upgrade, investments and subsidization, and knowledge cluster sharing to support blockchain implementation in the maritime industry.
Dilupa Nakandala, Yung Po Tsang, H.C.W. Lau, C.K.M. Lee
In view of increasing supply chain disruption events, for example the ChinaâUnited States trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the RussiaâUkraine war, the complexity and dynamicity of global freight management keeps increasing. To build a resilient and sustainable supply chain, industrial practitioners are eager to systematically revamp the freight management decision process related to the selection of carriers, shipping lanes, and third-party logistics service providers. Therefore, this study aims at strengthening decision-making capabilities for global freight management, in which an industrial blockchain-based global freight decision framework (IB-GFDF) is proposed to incorporate consortium blockchain technology with the Bayesian best-worst method. Through the blockchain technology, pairwise comparisons can be conducted over the international freight network in a decentralized and immutable manner, and thus, a secure and commonly agreed-on pairwise comparison dataset is acquired. Subsequently, the pairwise comparison dataset with multi-stakeholder opinions is analyzed using the Bayesian best-worst method in order to prioritize the selection decision criteria related to carriers, shipping lanes, and 3PL service providers for global freight management. To verify the methodological feasibility, a case study of an Australian agricultural supply chain firm was conducted to support the development end-to-end (E2E) supply chain solutions originated from Australia. It was found that port infrastructure, ports of call and communication effectiveness were the major criteria for the selection decision, which can be emphasized in future global freight collaboration. In addition, an immutable and append-only record of pairwise comparisons can be established to support the visibility of time-varying stakeholdersâ preferences.
Abstract Previous studies indicate that green supplier integration can promote supplier knowledge sharing as a core resource and capability to strengthen supply chain resilience and achieve green performance for sustainable development. However, due to the lack of an effective approach and technology to improve green supplier integration, it is difficult for suppliers to promote or even maintain sharing. Few studies note that green supplier integration through lean practices may efficiently promote supplier knowledge sharing, and blockchain combinations may produce efficiencies in maintaining supplier knowledge sharing intention. However, there are still disputes and a lack of deep verification. Thus, this study aims to explore the following questions. First, when green supplier integration is improved through lean practices, can it promote supplier knowledge sharing and further strengthen supply chain resilience and green performance? Second, to what extent do blockchain combinations moderate the relationship between supplier knowledge sharing and supply chain resilience and why? Based on the natural resourceâbased view and knowledgeâbased view, this study builds a theoretical framework and verifies it using PLSâSEM based on 214 Chinese manufacturers. The results of our analysis show that suppliers' knowledge sharing with manufacturers can certainly be promoted when lean practices are adopted to improve green supplier integration. In addition, blockchain combinations can certainly maintain supplier knowledge sharing intention and ensure that supply chain resilience related to prevention is continuously strengthened. In sum, our findings make useful contributions to the literature on the efficiencies of lean practices and blockchain combinations in the context of green supplier integration.
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 âto beâ 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.
Purpose The coordination among the various entities such as the military, government agencies, civilians, non-governmental agencies, and other commercial enterprises is one of the most challenging aspects of managing the humanitarian supply chain. Blockchain technology (BCT) can facilitate coordination, but the cost and other hindrances have limited their application in disaster relief operations. Despite some studies, the existing literature does not provide a nuanced understanding of the application of blockchain technology to improve information alignment and coordination. Motivated by some recent examples where blockchain technology has been used to trace and mobilize resources in the form of funds and materials from the origin to the destination, the authors develop a theoretical model grounded in the contingent resource-based view. Design/methodology/approach To empirically validate the model and test the research hypotheses, the authors gathered cross-sectional data using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. In this study, the authors gathered our responses from international non-governmental organizations from twenty-four countries. The authors performed the statistical analyses using variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of commercial software (WarpPLS 7.0). Findings The findings of the study offer some useful implications for theory and practice. The results obtained through statistical analyses suggest that the BCT significantly affects information alignment and coordination. However, contrary to popular beliefs the study suggests that intergroup leadership has no significant moderating effect on the paths joining BCT and information alignment/coordination. Moreover, the authors found that the control variable (interdependence) significantly affects the information alignment and coordination further, which opens the room for further investigation. Practical implications The result of the study offers some useful guidance. Firstly, it suggests that humanitarian organizations should invest in BCT to improve information alignment and coordination which is one of the most complex tasks in front of humanitarian organizations. Secondly, intergroup leadership may not have desired influence on the effects of BCT on information alignment/coordination. However, the interdependence of the humanitarian organizations on each other may have a significant influence on the information alignment/coordination. Originality/value The study offers some useful implications for theory. For instance, how BCT influences information alignment and coordination was not well understood in the context of humanitarian settings. Hence, this study offers a nuanced understanding of technology-enabled coordination in humanitarian settings.
Purpose Drawing on the signaling theory and the relational exchange theory, this study investigates how buyerâsupplier trust is influenced through the congruence and incongruence between blockchain and norm of solidarity. The moderating role of technology uncertainty is further examined. Design/methodology/approach Using a survey data of 110 Chinese firms, this study empirically tests not only the combined effect of blockchain and norm of solidarity on trust, but also how this combined effect is moderated by technology uncertainty. The proposed hypotheses are tested using the polynomial regression analysis and the response surface methodology. Findings The results suggest that trust increases along with an increasing congruence between blockchain and norm or solidarity, but in a diminishing rate (i.e. an inverted U-shaped relationship). Simultaneously, incongruence between blockchain and norm of solidarity can also guarantee sufficient trust (i.e. a U-shaped relationship). Moreover, technology uncertainty overturns the inverted U-shaped relationship between blockchain and norm of solidarity congruence on trust into a U-shaped relationship and nullifies the U-shaped relationship between blockchain and norm of solidarity incongruence on trust. Originality/value This study enriches supply chain governance literature by introducing the emerging blockchain governance and examining the blockchain governance's interplay with a conventional relational norm. The study emphasizes that the combined effects of these two are quite complex. Blockchain and norm of solidarity can offset each otherâs limitations when both are at low to moderate levels. But simultaneous pursuit of both high blockchain and norm has only limited marginal benefits. Furthermore, the study also highlights the importance of technology uncertainty under which the combined effects between the two governance mechanisms vary. Collectively, the results provide nuanced insights into the design of supply chain governance portfolios in the digital era.
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 retailerâs 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 retailerâs 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.
Abstract COVIDâ19, which is a global problem, affects the all supply chains throughout the world. One of the supply chains most affected by COVIDâ19 is food supply chains. Since the sustainable food supply chain processes are complex and vulnerable in terms of product variety, it has been negatively affected by the operational effects of COVIDâ19. While the problems experienced in the supply chain processes and raw material constraints caused stops in production, the importance of new business models and production approaches came to the fore. One of the issues of increasing importance is the adoption of reverse logistics activities in sustainable food supply chains and increasing the resilience of food supply chains by integrating blockchain technology into processes. However, adapting blockchain technology to increase the resilience of reverse logistics activities in the food supply chain has advantages as well as risks that need to be considered. Therefore, it is aimed to determine these risks by using fuzzy synthetic evaluation method for eliminating the risks of blockchain adaptation for flexible reverse logistics in food supply chains to increase resiliency. The novelty of this study is that besides discussing about the benefits of BCâT, it is to identify the risks it can create, to eliminate these risks and to guide the establishment of resilience in reverse logistics activities of SFSCs. According to results, the risks with the highest value among the subrisks are determined as data security risks. Data management risks are calculated as the risk with the highest value.
Berk Kßçßkaltan, RÄąfat KamaĹak, Baris Yalcinkaya, Zahir Irani
Blockchain has gained momentum as a disruptive technology in supply chain management against its introduction as a finance-related instrument. Nevertheless, the developing academic understanding and the limited practical implications lead to insufficient insights into the use of blockchain technology, particularly in the supply chain finance (SCF) domain. Thus, the expected potential of blockchain technology remains underexplored. Accordingly, this study explicates this situation by examining the extant literature findings and web-based big data that can provide evidence about the real needs in supply chains, and investigating how blockchain emerges as a disruptive SCF-oriented technology. The study employs a web analytics method, Search Engine Results Page (SERP) analysis which considers the trends in blockchain technology use and the interactions between blockchain, supply chain and finance appearing in Google searches. The SERP method examined real-time clicks, web traffics and most commonly asked questions about blockchain. The SERP findings revealed that the interest in blockchain technology neither focused on finance nor data privacy as emphasised in the literature but mainly on the benefits of increasing digitalisation and efficiency in supply chains. The results offered practical implications for capturing recent blockchain- and supply chain-related trends and designing more digital and efficient supply chains.
Purpose This study proposes a systematic and comprehensive circular economy (CE) performance measure as an instrument to operationalize and quantify circularity. It seeks to evaluate the relative contribution of blockchain technology to evaluate various measures in this study. A general research agenda for investigating blockchain capabilities to performance assessment in CE is presented. Design/methodology/approach Empirical survey data from 32 CE and blockchain experts are collected to inform this study. Inductive reasoning, heatmaps, and a middle-range theory building approach are utilized to generalize theoretical patterns for blockchain support of CE performance assessment and measurement. A series of propositions are then developed as a middle-range theory for the true, false, perceptible, and hidden affordances of blockchain technology capabilities for CE performance measurement. Findings Overall, sixteen performance measures and metrics are identified and examined. The authors find most of these measures and metrics â based on literature and expert opinion â can be supported using blockchain technology capabilities. Four major blockchain capabilities, transparency and traceability, reliability and security, smart contracts, and incentivization and tokenization are shown to have varying potential support for CE performance assessment. There needs to be an evaluation of true, false, perceptible, and hidden affordances of blockchain technology capabilities for CE performance measurement in future studies. Originality/value Blockchain application for CE, and specifically performance measurements, is a new area. Research and practice evaluation on this issue is important but needs substantially additional investigation to help CE progress. This study provides a framework for evaluation and a foundation for future research at the nexus of CE, blockchain technology, and performance measurement.
Blockchain is considered a breakthrough technology in the construction industry, with the potential to improve the trust environment and workflow of construction stakeholders. Although recent research offers hints regarding possible contributing elements to blockchain adoption in the construction industry, no specific study has addressed this topic. This knowledge gap hinders the adoption and promotion of blockchain in construction organizations. This study aimed to identify the determinants of blockchain adoption in the construction industry and verify the influence of the combination of various factors on adoption intention. Based on the technologyâorganizationâenvironment framework, a conceptual model of blockchain adoption in the construction industry was constructed. Data were collected through the distribution of questionnaires, and 244 professionals in the construction field participated in this study. To evaluate the model hypotheses, we used a two-stage partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) combination. The PLS-SEM revealed that factors such as compatibility, top management support, relative advantage, regulatory support, cost, competitive pressure, organizational readiness, and firm size significantly influence blockchain adoption. The fsQCA indicated that six causal conditions achieve high adoption intention. This is one of the first empirical studies on blockchain adoption in the construction industry, which can aid organizations, policymakers, and project participants in making informed decisions regarding the adoption of blockchain.
Due to the complexity and lack of transparency of traditional supply chains, the introduction and development of blockchain technology is of great interest to the stakeholders involved in the logistics process to improve logistics processes in the supply chain and make them more sustainable. A detailed analysis has been made for the logistics industry in this study, which is discussed to investigate the undeniable benefits of blockchain technology. Today, when we try to determine our application methods in line with sustainable development purposes, it is seen that the logistics industry gains many advantages when it is integrated with blockchain technology. For this purpose, SWOT analysis has been applied as a result of literature review for logistics management, which is one of the sub-activities of supply chain management that applies blockchain technology, and contributes to the application potential in the logistics industry. At this point, some of the strengths that will require the use of blockchain technology in the logistics sector are decentralized structure, effective information sharing, fast response, robust risk management, interprocess integrity, etc. While its weaknesses are low performance, having a complex structure and high energy consumption can be the problem. In addition, some of the opportunities that the sector will gain are the ability to optimize time, solve problems, gain competition, increase sustainability; on the other hand, external threats, cross-integration adoption, new technology, limited data privacy etc. is happening.
Raja Wasim Ahmad, Walaa Al Khader, Raja Jayaraman, Khaled Salah ¡ 6 authors
Purpose The purpose of this research is to study and analyze the literature that integrates Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach with blockchain technology in different sectors for improved quality management. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a scoping review on the application of integrated LSS and blockchain technology in the manufacturing and healthcare sector. Further, the authors examined existing blockchain-based solutions on a variety of dimensions, including application area, technical approach, methodology, application scenario, various blockchain platforms, purpose, and monitoring parameters. The authors study LSS approaches in detail, as well as the key benefits that blockchain technology can enable. Finally, the authors discuss significant research problems to be addressed in order to develop a highly efficient, resilient, and secure quality management framework using blockchain technology. Findings It has been observed that the adoption of blockchain technology for quality management and assurance is influenced by several factors such as transaction execution speed, throughput, latency. Also, prior blockchain-based solutions have neglected to leverage the benefits of LSS methodologies for effective quality management. Originality/value This is the first study to explores the influence of blockchain technology on quality management and assurance in manufacturing and healthcare industry. Furthermore, prior research has not examined how integrating the LSS methodology with blockchain technology can aid in the control of product quality management.
Corinne Sim, Haisheng Zhang, Marianne Louise Chang
Regulating and monitoring a traditionally fragmented pharma supply chain has been a global challenge for decades. Without a trusted system and strong collaboration between stakeholders, threats such as counterfeits can easily intercept the supply chain and cause monumental disruptions. Today, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for greater data transparency, better deployment of technology, and improved ways of connecting stakeholder information along the supply chain. There is a need for improved ways of working to help build up supply chain resilience, and one way is by implementing better end-to-end traceability using blockchain technology such as Hyperledger Fabric. This paper will explore the business value that blockchain brings to the pharma supply chain with better end-to-end traceability, with the example of an industry-grade blockchain solution called eZTracker. Through six key features, pharmaceutical manufacturers, patients, and Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs) can now participate in data-sharing, with extended use cases of integrating blockchain with warehouse platforms, a patient-facing mobile application, and an interactive dashboard for real-time verification and data transparency. Beyond anti-counterfeit verification, other potential use cases include effective product recall management, cold chain monitoring, e-product information and more. The effectiveness of a traceability solution is heavily dependent on the amount of data collected and is affected by poor adoption and scalability. Existing limitations that need to be addressed include the lack of mandated serialisation in Asia and blockchain interoperability. To maximise the value of blockchain, collaboration is key. Pharmaceutical manufacturers need to invest in new technologies such as blockchain, to help them break out of data silos, and operationalise data to build supply chain resilience.
Sagar Dua, Mohita Gangwar Sharma, Vinaytosh Mishra, Sourabh D. Kulkarni
Purpose Blockchain has been considered a disrupting technology that can add value in various supply chains differently. The provenance framework matches the four blockchain capabilities of traceability, certifiability, trackability and verifiability to the five generic risks, namely, the financial risk, psychological risk, social risk, physical risk and performance risk. This will help in uncording which specific risk gets mitigated by the use of blockchain in a specific supply chain. Design/methodology/approach This study illustrates four supply chains, namely, pharmaceutical industry, fast moving consumer goods industry, precious metal and automotive industry, and maps the risks associated with them to the provenance framework wherein the applicability of blockchain is mapped. Fuzzy analytical hierarchical processing (F-AHP) is used to rank the risks in the supply chain. Findings Blockchain capabilities can elevate the provenance knowledge leading to assurance in terms of origin, authenticity, custody and integrity to mitigate the supply chain risks. Present work highlights the thrust areas across various supply chains and identifies the risk priority tasks aligning the contextual supply chain risks. This study has covered five major risk perceptions. This study contributes to the literature on blockchain, customer perceived risk, provenance and supply chain. Practical implications This methodology can be adopted to understand and market the application of blockchain in a supply chain. It brings the marketers and marketing perspective to the supply chain. Exhaustive risk perception can be included to get more comprehensive data on mapping the risks along different supply chains. Vertical extensions of this work can be consideration of other supply chains including dairy, fruits and vegetables, electronics and component assemblies to derive the comprehensive framework for mapping risk perceptions and thereby supply chain risk mitigation through blockchain technology. Originality/value This linkage between blockchain, perceived risk, applications in the supply chain and a tool to convince the customers about the blockchain applicability has not been discussed in the literature. Adopting the multi-criteria decision-making F-AHP approach, this study attempt to rank the risks and stimulate conversations around a common framework for multiple sectors.
Kongmanas Yavaprabhas, Mehrdokht Pournader, Stefan Seuring
This paper aims to investigate the impact of blockchain application on trust levels in supply chains. Through the systematic review of the relevant literature, three dimensions of trust, i.e., the trustor-trustee perspective, forms of trust, and time orientation, are investigated. Our findings show that, first, there are three pairs of trustors and trustees involved in blockchain implementation: (a) the user and the blockchain, (b) two supply chain partners, and (c) the consumer/public and a supply chain unit. Second, the two forms of trust, namely cognition-based and institution-based trust, are likely to be enhanced by blockchain execution, while affect-based trust may not be directly impacted by the technology. Third, the presence of blockchain technology would facilitate swift trust-building between unknown supply chain partners under specific circumstances. Moreover, we also find contradicting assertions among scholars on the implications of blockchain for trust in supply chains. While some studies pointed out that blockchain will enable a trustless trusted scheme, others expected the reinforcement of interorganizational trust. To test these assertions, we develop the blockchain-entrusted supply chain models to present the three-step process of how trust is developed through the blockchain and diffused to supply chain partners and external stakeholders. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10479-022-04868-0.
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 executiveâs 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 technologyâs 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.