The aim of this study is to understand the blockchain adoption behaviour in Brazilian supply chains. Specifically, the study aims to unlock the potential of social influence; taking into consideration workers from the Brazilian supply chains. We proposed a model using constructs from a unified theory of acceptance and the use of technology (UTAUT). The models were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and the findings indicated the power of social influence in predicting other UTAUT constructs. In addition, this study shows the mediation effect of effort expectancy and the facilitating conditions in the relationship between social influence and the behavioural intention to adopt blockchain. Finally, our findings bring essential theoretical and managerial implications.
This paper proposes a conceptual model of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in small and medium enterprises (SME) using blockchain technology (BT). With growing focus on sustainable business process, research on SSCM is gaining prominence. BT, being a disruptive technology, has potential to impact the SSCM. Using the extant literature, the antecedents of SSCM using BT have been identified. Multiple-criteria decision-making has been deployed to develop the conceptual model. Various managerial and theoretical implications along with scope for future research have been discussed.
This paper Decision making at the top level is very complex. One important responsibility of the policy makers and the governance system is to plan the safety and security to its citizen and consumers for the firms. This research address of the main concern of counterfeiting goods in todayâs time. This research identify the potential and needs of the distributed ledger technologies like blockchain and their application potential to combat the problem of counterfeiting in Indian economy. The research uses SWARA (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis)-WASPAS (Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment) methodology after expert opinion gathered to understand the problem better and it results into the prioritization of application of blockchain in different industries. SWARA is applied to evaluate the weights of the criteria and WASPAS to evaluate and prioritize the alternatives.
Blockchain has been emerged as a promising technology for a traceability system in industry. It can also be applied to many functions of a Supply Chain Management (SCM) system, such as logistics, quality assurance, inventory management, and forecasting. One of the most important functions of the SCM is to improve the transparency, traceability and auditability of materials flow throughout the supply chain from suppliers, manufacturing facilities, warehouses/distribution centers, to customers. This research especially focuses on the impact of blockchain on supply chain traceability through the current industry applications, and its future direction.
Nowadays, integrating new technologies into all management processes leads to strong evolution especially in Smart Logistics which forms one of the fundamental pillar of the fourth industrial revolution âindustry 4.0â. As an integrated technology, Blockchain, which is an emerging concept, allows decentralized and immutable storage of verified data. The purpose of this study is to define the various applications of Blockchain in Smart Logistics, as well as to present concrete examples of these applications. This work was done by classifying the applications according to four clusters: Information, Transport, Finance, and Management, in addition to presenting the applications of each cluster.
Yingli Wang, Catherine Huirong Chen, Ahmed Zghari-Sales
While blockchain technologies are gaining momentum within supply chains, academic understanding of concrete, real-life design and implementation is still lagging, hence offering very limited insights into the true implications of blockchain technology on supply chains. This paper reports a two-year design science research (DSR) study of a smart contract initiative piloted by a consortium in the UKâs construction sector. We seek answers to the research question, âHow should a blockchain enabled supply chain be designed?â Guided by the theory of business model, we explore how a group of supply chain actors collectively designs and pilots a blockchain solution that addresses the supply chain transparency and provenance problem. Our research is one of the very few longitudinal empirical studies to offer in-depth evidence about how blockchain is deployed in complex multi-tier supply chain networks. In compliance with DSR research paradigm, we make contributions at three levels: designing and instantiating the blockchain architect and proving its utility in addressing the target problem; developing a set of design principles as a mid-range theory that can be applied and tested in different blockchain supply chain contexts; and refining and extending the kernel theory of business value at supply chain network level.
We seek to guide operations management (OM) research on the implementation of supply chain traceability systems by identifying business requirements and the factors critical to successful implementation. We first motivate the need for implementing traceability systems in two very different industriesâcobalt mining and pharmaceuticalsâand present business requirements and critical success factors for implementation. Next, we describe how we carried out thematic analysis of practitioner and scholarly articles on implementing blockchain for supply chain traceability. Finally, we present our results pertaining to the needs of different stakeholders such as suppliers, consumers, and regulators. The business requirements for traceability systems are curbing illegal practices; improving sustainability performance; increasing operational efficiency; enhancing supplyâchain coordination; and sensing market trends. Critical success factors for implementation are companiesâ capabilities; collaboration; technology maturity; supply chain practices; leadership; and governance of the traceability efforts. These findings provide a nascent measurement model for empirical work and a foundation for descriptive and normative research on blockchain applications for supply chain traceability.
Law, regulation, and private standards have evolved to enhance sustainability in value chains. However, the volume of hard and soft laws has created complexity and fragmentation for consumers and firms. In addition, global value chains are increasingly disaggregated, making it difficult for consumers to enforce breaches of sustainability representations. Blockchain, as an immutable and digital record keeping system, is a tool that can deal with this growing complexity in global value chains. Documents verifying sustainability that were once in the private domain and stored in paper copy can now be made accessible in a secure and transparent blockchain platform. Despite a growing interest in the potential of blockchain to transform businesses, there are few concrete examples or scholarly literature showing how blockchain is operationalized in practice. Using a âconceptual framework analysisâ approach, we develop an Evidence, Verifiability, and Enforceability (EVE) framework to illustrate how blockchain can enhance sustainability by providing information to consumers on the origin of products, assurances as to the veracity of the information, and a mechanism to enforce representations through the blockchain smart contract function. However, there need to be safeguards put in place for blockchain technology to meet its promise and we discuss some of these challenges.
Sara Saberi, Mahtab Kouhizadeh, Joseph Sarkis, Lejia Shen
Globalisation of supply chains makes their management and control more difficult. Blockchain technology, as a distributed digital ledger technology which ensures transparency, traceability, and security, is showing promise for easing some global supply chain management problems. In this paper, blockchain technology and smart contracts are critically examined with potential application to supply chain management. Local and global government, community, and consumer pressures to meet sustainability goals prompt us to further investigate how blockchain can address and aid supply chain sustainability. Part of this critical examination is how blockchains, a potentially disruptive technology that is early in its evolution, can overcome many potential barriers. Four blockchain technology adoption barriers categories are introduced; inter-organisational, intra-organisational, technical, and external barriers. True blockchain-led transformation of business and supply chain is still in progress and in its early stages; we propose future research propositions and directions that can provide insights into overcoming barriers and adoption of blockchain technology for supply chain management.
Blockchain technology is an inchoate technology whose current popularity is peaking. Some of the most pervasive blockchain technology use cases exist for supply chains. Sustainable, and especially green, supply chains can benefit from blockchain technology, but there are also caveats. The sustainability and environmental management research and academic literature is only starting to investigate this emergent field. This paper seeks to help advance the discussion and motivate additional practice and research related to green supply chains and blockchain technology. This viewpoint paper provides insight into some of the main dimensions of blockchain technology, an overview of the use cases and issues, and some general research areas for further investigation.
This is the first work to introduce the use of blockchain technology for the electronic traceability of wood from standing tree to final user. Infotracing integrates the information related to the product quality with those related to the traceability [physical and digital documents (Radio Frequency IDentification-RFID-architecture)] within an online information system whose steps (transactions) can be made safe to evidence of alteration through the blockchain. This is a decentralized and distributed ledger that keeps records of digital transactions in such a way that makes them accessible and visible to multiple participants in a network while keeping them secure without the need of a centralized certification organism. This work implements a blockchain architecture within the wood chain electronic traceability. The infotracing system is based on RFID sensors and open source technology. The entire forest wood supply chain was simulated from standing trees to the final product passing through tree cutting and sawmill process. Different kinds of Internet of Things (IoT) open source devices and tags were used, and a specific app aiming the forest operations was engineered to collect and store in a centralized database information (e.g., species, date, position, dendrometric and commercial information).
In the context of logistics, blockchain can help to increase end-to-end visibility along global supply chains. Thus, it can lead to improved tracking of goods and offer tamper-proof data to build trust among parties. Although a variety of blockchain use cases already exists, not all of them seem to rely on blockchain-specific features, but could rather be solved with traditional technologies. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to identify characteristic use cases described for blockchain in the field of LSCM and to analyze them regarding their mindful technology use based on five mindful technology adoption principles: engagement with the technology; Technological novelty seeking; awareness of local context; cognizance of alternative technologies; and anticipation of technology alteration. The authors identified five blockchain case clusters and chose one case for each category to be analyzed in detail. Most cases demonstrate high engagement with the technology, but there are significant differences when it comes to the other mindful use principles. This paper highlights the need to understand the problem and to apply the right technology in order to solve it. When solving a problem, care should be taken to address a technologyâs unique features to ensure effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
Mario Dobrovnik, David M. Herold, Elmar FĂźrst, Sebastian Kummer
Despite the claim that blockchain will revolutionise business and redefine logistics, existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that categorise blockchain application potentials and their implications. In particular, academic literature in transport and logistics to date has not sufficiently distinguished between blockchain adoption (âwhat to adoptâ) and the identification of the right business opportunity (âwhere to startâ). In response, this paper (1) uses Rogersâ (2003) âattributes of innovation frameworkâ to identify potential blockchain applications and (2) presents a framework explicating four transformation phases to subsequently categorise the identified areas of application according to their effects on organisational structures and processes. Using academic and practitioner literature, we classify possible applications for adoption and provide a framework to identify blockchain opportunities in the logistics industry, thereby helping managers to systematically assess where to start building organisational capabilities in order to successfully adopt and deploy blockchain-based technology.
George Alexandris, Vassilis Katos, Sofia Alexaki, George Hatzivasilis
Implementing a circular economy business model which is profitable for businesses operating physical assets, while at the same time does not conflict with strategic goals of environmental policies can be a complex and risky undertaking for a single entity, especially if the asset operator is a small-to-medium enterprise (SMEs). To mitigate this, a collaborative circular economy business model is proposed, where the circular economy cycle is materialized by assets transitioning between asset operators on a demanddriven approach. Demand itself is partially based on the asset's state, which is described by its circular properties (location, condition, availability). The asset state and its transition between operators can be monitored by auditors and governmental regulators to ensure asset integrity and compliance with environmental targets. This common view of asset state between all parties can be enabled by blockchains and smart contracts, which can provide the underlying technology to share data with integrity, while simultaneously offering more efficient interoperability between participants. To demonstrate how this could be achieved, a conceptual asset record access and sharing mechanism is presented which is suitable for regulated environmental jurisdictions.
A Supply Chain Finance (SCF) system involving and a commercial bank and a capital-constrained retailer is designed in the imperfect capital market with non-zero bankruptcy costs. A decentralized borrower-lender game is analyzed, and the optimal centralized strategy is developed for SCF from the perspective of multi-attribute utility (MAU) maximization, including maximizing the expected profit and the service level, as well as minimizing the bankruptcy cost. Furthermore, we analytically and numerically explore the coordination condition for SCF and conclude that the bank financing scheme with a suitable combination of decision preferences can realize coordination, even super coordination. Through sensitivity analyses and numerical experiments, we discuss the impacts of the borrower's initial capitals on the upstream firm's pricing decision and dig out why he has incentives to support the retailer's choice of adopting SCF. The findings of this study reveal that the capital-constrained retailer would require more initial capital when maximizing MAU than maximizing the expected profit, and thus the equilibrium order quantity and the bankruptcy risk would also be higher. Moreover, based on a suitable combination of decision preferences, our proposed bank financing scheme can realize coordination, even super coordination.
Xiaoli Wang, Liu Yun, Gui Bing-Xiu, Meijian Yang ¡ 6 authors
In many countries of the world, government procurement is a powerful tool for reflecting national strategic intentions and promoting scientific and technological innovation. Based on the perspective of the institutional structure and the method of policy for bibliometrics, we analyzed Chinese policies of government procurement to promote scientific and technological innovation, revealed the policymaking characteristics, and concluded that the Ministry of Finance should appropriately decentralize the policymaking work to other relevant departments of the State Council. This paper compares the main policy tools from five dimensions among China and other typical countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, and so on. Five aspects, which include establishing the database for vendors of micro, small, and medium enterprises; developing the grade system and the post evaluation system; formulating detailed implementation methods of innovative products and services; carrying out classification management for imported products; and setting mandatory insurances. In general, for the policies of government procurement to promote scientific and technological innovation, this paper provides an effective reference for organizing the agencies and formulating the detail measures. The research framework of this paper could be applied to analyze other policies.
Capital constraints exist in many supply chains. We examine a low carbon distribution channel that consists of a manufacturer and a retailer, in which the retailer is constrained by capital. The retailer can be financed by bank credit from a competitive bank market. A Stackelberg model is developed to analyze the integrated decision-making process of ordering, financing, and emission reduction. By comparing the decentralized and centralized channels, we obtain that the manufacturerâs green technology investment should be linearly proportional to the retailerâs order quantity in both channels. Thus, a large order quantity leads to increased efforts to reduce emissions. Results further show that the centralized channel in some cases has fewer emissions and can generate more profits for the whole supply chain compared with the decentralized channel. We therefore propose a revenue sharing contract with a function form to coordinate the distribution channel. When the government allocates appropriate quotas to the supply chain, high carbon price can benefit the environment and supply chain efficiency.
The topic of blockchain has been inundated with the fanaticism of cryptocurrencies' enthusiasts in recent years. In fact, the theory of blockchain and technologies behind are more worthy to be discussed to bring revolution to nowadays business operation. In this paper, we conduct an interdisciplinary study on business logistics as well as the cutting edge information technologies. We discuss the ongoing projects of blockchain in business industry, and then we propose our assessment model and blockchain framework to seek an enhanced metric for delivery performance with real-time feature and higher accuracy. Based on the our analysis, we identify the shortcomings of traditional assessment on delivery performance in contemporary global supply chain management and we discuss the potential benefits brought by adoption of our proposed framework.
In many countries, sustainable public procurement is a powerful tool to reflect on national strategic intentions and promote scientific and technological innovation. Based on the perspective of an institutional structure, we filtered out the core policies. Using policy bibliometrics, we analyzed Chinese public procurement policies on promoting scientific and technological innovation, revealed policy-making characteristics, and concluded that the Ministry of Finance should appropriately decentralize the policy-making work to other relevant agencies of the State Council. This article compares the main policy tools from four dimensions in China, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, and South Korea. We issued these pertinent strategies: establishing the vendor database for small and medium enterprises, developing a grade system and the post-evaluation system, formulating detailed implementation methods for high-tech products (services), and carrying out classification management for imported products. For sustainable public procurement policies on promoting scientific and technological innovation, this article provides an effective reference to organize the agencies and formulate the detail measures. This articleâs research framework could be applied to analyze other industry policies.
Anne Haugen Gausdal, Karen V. Czachorowski, Marina Z. Solesvik
The aim of this study is to develop a theoretical framework for blockchain, operations in particular. Furthermore, we aim to identify the main drivers and barriers of digital innovation and explore the general possibilities of blockchain applications within the maritime industry. A case study approach is applied: the Norwegian offshore industry. Primary data is collected through interviews, while secondary data is collected from industrial and company reports, the Internet, and national and international media reports. We have discovered that cost reduction intentions, the high level of regulation in the maritime industry, and the large amount of data that maritime companies should process, along with the intention to work more effectively, are the main drivers of digital innovation. On the other hand, the high cost of implementation, the bad quality of Internet connections offshore, the old age of decision-makers, the technology-oriented culture, the lack of investment initiatives, the low level of blockchain diffusion through the supply chain, and risk aversion are the main barriers. The results of the qualitative study show that some of the barriers and motives of digital innovation and the introduction to blockchain technology were pointed out by earlier studies. However, we have identified several unique drivers and barriers specific to the industry. Finally, the blockchain process framework is developed.
Zhijie Li, Haoyan Wu, Brian King, Zina Ben Miled ¡ 6 authors
Optimizing physical goods distribution by providing increased visibility to trading partners can directly impact product cost. However, current supply chain information systems often lack the ability to cost-effectively relay ground truth information in near real time to all stakeholders and most importantly to the supplier and the customer during the transport of the shipment. This paper presents a solution that addresses this gap through a peer-to-peer architecture that can support the increasing demand for visibility and timely delivery of information during the physical distribution phase of supply chain. Additional features of the proposed solution include scalability, privacy and validity of the information that is delivered to the trading partners. The solution enables small, medium and large businesses to interact in a dynamic and shipment-centric manner through a private blockchain sub-ledger that digitizes the transfer of custody chain for each shipment. Information in this private ledger is augmented by a public event ledger that reflects the movement of the shipment in near real time. Third party monitors are engaged in the validation of the geolocation of the shipments by posting their physical proximity in the form of events to the public ledger.