This study investigates the importance of the determinants affecting the adoption and usage of blockchain-based SCM systems in the context of organizations. Hence, an SLR method was followed to uncover critical determinants in the literature. Then, a research model, including 14 key determinants, was developed based on the TOE Framework. Subsequently, the AHP method was applied to rank the adoption determinants. The findings reveal that environment-related determinants are more critical than technology-related or organization-related determinants.
Zonggui Tian, Ray Y. Zhong, Ali Vatankhah Barenji, Yiyan Wang · 6 authors
The rapid development of urbanisation and the ever-changing consumersâ demands are constantly changing the urban logistics industry, imposing challenges on logistics service providers to improve customer satisfaction which is one of the indicators for the sustainability of urban logistics. Existing customer satisfaction evaluations are based on a questionnaire survey, which is time-consuming and labour intensive. Moreover, the logistics data are confidential and can only be accessed by the stakeholders in existing logistics models, causing the problem of information non-transparency among logistics enterprises and the third authorities like banks and governments, which may hinder the sustainable development of urban logistics. In this paper, we propose a blockchain-based evaluation approach for customer satisfaction in the context of urban logistics. Four criteria affecting customer satisfaction in urban logistics are identified. A machine learning algorithm Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is adopted to predict customer satisfaction in the future period. The implementation is demonstrated to illustrate the proposed approach. A smart contract is designed for compensation and/or refund to customers when their satisfaction with the delivery services is at a low level.
ABSTRACT Platform operations are very common in the sharing economy. Nowadays, retailers can sell the endâofâseason product leftovers to platforms which offer product rental services to the market. Motivated by this observed industrial practice, we build stylized supply chain models to explore the platform supported supply chain operations. We uncover that the presence of the platform creates the âtriple marginalizationâ problem in which supply chain coordination cannot be achieved even if the manufacturer is willing to supply at cost using the wholesale pricing contract. We show how the markdown sponsor (MS) contract can deal with the triple marginalization problem and achieve supply chain coordination. However, we illustrate that a moral hazard problem, in which the retailer has incentive to overclaim the amount of markdown sponsor, arises. We reveal that the moral hazard problem brings a loss to the manufacturer, an immoral gain for the retailer, and there is no impact on the platform and consumers. We analytically derive the impact of moral hazard (which means the loss to the manufacturer, and the gain for the retailer) and find that it relates to the markdown sponsor rate, as well as the degree of overclaiming. To overcome the moral hazard problem under MS contract, we propose measures such as the adoption of blockchain technology, and âdiscountedâ markdown sponsor contract, to help. We also explore the implementations of other contracts to overcome the moral hazard, like virtual buyback with inventory reallocation contract, and wholesale pricing contract with side payments.
Today, blockchain technology and its cryptocurrency function are widely proposed as a tool for supply chain finance and some companies already accept cryptocurrency in business transactions. However, supply chain agents may possess different risk attitudes towards the use of cryptocurrency. In this paper, we build stylised analytical three-echelon supply chain models to examine this issue. To be specific, we consider the case in which supply chain agents can be risk neutral, risk averse or risk prone towards the volatile value of cryptocurrency. We model these risk attitudes by using the mean-risk theory. In the main models, comparing the benefits of supply chain agents as well as consumers under the cases with and without blockchain and cryptocurrency, we analytically reveal the impacts brought by risk attitudes of supply chain agents in different echelons. We find the conditions under which implementing blockchain with cryptocurrency achieves an all-win situation for all supply chain agents and consumers. Critical factors which affect the adoption of blockchain with cryptocurrency in supply chains are further investigated. In the extended models, we consider two cases: (i) The case in which ânot using blockchain with cryptocurrencyâ has an impact on consumer utility; and (ii) there is a chain-to-chain competition. We uncover that the main conclusion remains valid and new insights are also derived.
Roman ZeiĂ, Anne Ixmeier, Jan Recker, Johann Kranz
Abstract One of today's grand societal challenges is to replace the current âtakeâmakeâwasteâ economic model with a circular economic model that allows a gradual decoupling of economic activities from the consumption of finite virgin resources. While circular economy (CE) scholars have long lauded digital technologies such as sensors, distributed ledgers, or platforms as key enablers, our own community has not fully explored the potentials of information systems (IS) for a CE. Considering recent technological advances in software and hardware and our history of helping address wicked challenges, we believe the time is ripe to mobilise IS scholarship for a CE. Our findings from an interdisciplinary literature review show that research has primarily examined IS potentials for increasing efficiency of isolated intraâorganisational processes while neglecting the larger sustainability potential of IS to establish circular material flowsâthat is, slow down and close material loops across entire product lifecycles. In response, we propose directions for IS research that develop our knowledge of how IS can help understand and enact circular material flows to intensify and extend use of products and components and recycle waste materials. Our directions offer pathways to building and evaluating the problemâsolution pairing that could characterise a prolific CEâIS relationship.
The dynamic and uncertain demand forces organizations to provide flexible services in order to fulfill customer demands. Freight transportation, being the key component of the businesses, requires adoption of efficient Information and Communication Technologies which can induce transparent and flexible services. Blockchain Technology (BT) is an emerging technology which has great potential to cater solutions to freight transportation issues. This study identifies different critical success factors of BT adoption in freight transportation. An integrated Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) is applied to prioritize identified success factors. Further, modified Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (mTISM) is used to represent the interrelationship among different sub-factors. The findings of the study revealed Development Aspects, Customer Services and Technological Aspects as well as Data Transparency, Reliability and Organizational Culture as the most significant factors and sub-factors, respectively. The proposed model will guide freight transport managers to formulate their strategies regarding BT adoption.
Muhandiramge Rodrigo, Srinath Perera, Sepani Senaratne, Xiaohua Jin
Carbon emissions are categorised as Embodied Carbon (EC) occurring in the production phase and Operational Carbon (OC) occurring in the operational phase of buildings. The current focus on producing zero-carbon buildings, emphasises reducing OC and ignores the importance of reducing EC emissions. This study focuses on EC. Methods available in EC estimating currently produce estimates that often do not complement each other. This makes it important to develop a robust and accurate methodology for estimating EC. Blockchain is an emerging technology that has significant potential for transaction processing in supply chains. The construction industry being the second least digitalised industry, the adoption of innovative technologies is predominantly important. This paper explores the potential application of blockchain for accurate estimation of EC in construction supply chains. A detailed literature review and expert interviews revealed that, compared to traditional information systems, blockchain systems could eliminate issues in EC estimating highlighting its potential credible application for EC estimating. Scalability was identified as a feature that was lacking in a blockchain system, however, for EC estimating, its impact was identified as minimal. It will be difficult to generalise the findings of the study due to interview based qualitative methodology adopted in this study along with the fact that blockchain is an emerging and fairly new technology. However, a similar process could be followed by other studies to compare blockchain with traditional information systems, to evaluate the suitability of blockchain technology to develop prototype systems.
Blockchain practices have been attracting attention in industries other than financial services, since blockchain is not only an information technology, but also an institutional technology owing to its new currency economics and distributed structures. Today, supply chains, power, and food/agriculture have emerged as promising areas in terms of their potential to incorporate blockchain technology for improving processes and reducing costs. Logistics corporations, especially, have been concentrating on developing efficiency in integrated data, fleet management, and communication issues, to achieve cost advantages. Experts from a well-known logistics company in Turkey contributed to our study by helping to assess critical factors for successful blockchain technology implementation. Our research topic included determining whether blockchain technology is suitable for this company. Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) was used to determine and evaluate the critical factors to encourage blockchain technology adoption, based on the companyâs requirements. For the company experts, the factors affecting the decision to adopt blockchain technology were, in order of priority: cryptocurrency, instant money transfer, privacy, real time processing, smart contract, security, authentication, transparency, immutability, traceability, distributed ledger, reduced delays, and peer-to-peer networks.
Madhavi Latha Nandi, Santosh Nandi, Hiram Moya, Hale Kaynak
Purpose Using the resource-based theoretical view of the firm, this paper aims to explore how firmsâ efforts to integrate blockchain technology (BCT) into their supply chain systems and activities enable certain supply chain capabilities and, consequently, improve their supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach Using an abductive research approach, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on 126 cases of firms attempting to implement a blockchain technology-enabled supply chain system (BCTeSCS). These firms spanning across multiple industries were identified using the Nexis Uni database. Findings Findings reveal that present BCTeSCS efforts are more-oriented toward improving operational-level capabilities (information sharing and coordination capabilities) than strategic-level capabilities (integration and collaboration capabilities). These operational and strategic-level capabilities alongside BCTeSCS deliver several supply chains performance outcomes such as quality compliance and improvement, process improvement, flexibility, reduced cost and reduced process time. However, outcomes may vary by industry type based on their uncertainties. Research limitations/implications Given the nascent state of BCT, accessibility to primary data about ongoing BCTeSCS efforts is limited. The presented framework is based on 126 cases of secondary information. Within this constraint, the paper finds scope to future empirical research by proposing a resource-based framework of BCTeSCS and related propositions. Practical implications The results and discussion of this study serve as useful guidance for practitioners involved in BCTeSCS integrations. Social implications The paper creates a BCTeSCS scenario for stakeholders to assume its potential socio-economic and socio-environmental pressures. Originality/value This paper is one of the initial attempts to examine BCTeSCS efforts across multiple industries, and thus, promises a broad future research scope.
This study assesses supplier selection at the beginning of project management to establish an evaluation system corresponding to blockchain tracing anti-counterfeiting platforms (BTAP). First, this paper determines 20 evaluation criteria from the four dimensions of platform overview, core technology, application support, and operations management. On this basis, multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) based on customer needs is proposed, which consists of three main steps. First, quality function deployment (QFD) and the best and worst method (BWM) are used to evaluate the four dimensions of the BTAP and specific evaluation criteria from the perspective of customers to obtain the criteria weight. Then, this method uses the extended Vlse Kriterjumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) approach to sort the alternatives. Finally, the improved decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to analyse the relationships between the 20 criteria in the four dimensions. The feasibility and effectiveness of this method are verified by an example. According to the sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis, the results show that this method can evaluate blockchain anti-counterfeiting enterprises. The main conclusions are as follows: the core technology is the most important factor influencing the choice of a BTAP project, and the role of application support in evaluation cannot be ignored.
Benjamin Musigmann, Heiko A. von der Gracht, Evi Hartmann
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.
The price risk of fresh agricultural products has been a significant topic in recent years. Taking the two-level fresh agricultural product supply chain as the research object, this paper studies the optimal ordering and coordination of supply chain based on two-period price, wholesale price and option contract. The optimal order decision of the retailer at the single period price and the optimal decision corresponding to the supplier are obtained when the output of the supplier is uncertain under decentralized decision-making. The range of penalty cost parameter that avoids supplier default is also obtained. The effect of two-period price on the optimal order decision and supply chain profits is discussed when the production yield of the supplier is fixed. Cost-sharing contract is introduced to increase the order quantity and achieve coordination because the option contract cannot completely make the supply chain coordination with two-period price. This paper provides a low-cost approach that can be applied in fresh agricultural supply chain to solve financing and order problems.