A systematic literature review of blockchain-based applications: Current status, classification and open issues

Blockchain is a technology with unique combination of features such as decentralized structure, distributed notes and storage mechanism, consensus algorithm, smart contracting, and asymmetric encryption to ensure network security, transparency and visibility. Blockchain has immense potential to transform supply chain (SC) functions, from SC provenance, business process reengineering to security enhancement. More and more studies exploring the use of blockchain in SCs have appeared in recent years. In this paper, we consider a total of 178 articles and examine all the relevant research done in the field associated with the use of blockchain integration in SC operations. We highlight the corresponding opportunities, possible societal impacts, current state-of-the-art technologies along with major trends and challenges. We examine several industrial sectors such as shipping, manufacturing, automotive, aviation, finance, technology, energy, healthcare, agriculture and food, e-commerce, and education among others that can be successfully revamped with blockchain based technologies through enhanced visibility and business process management. A future research agenda is established which lays the solid foundation for further studies on this important emerging research area.

Blockchain technology in supply chain operations: Applications, challenges and research opportunities

https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa48958/Download/0048958-11032019121357.pdf

Blockchain research, practice and policy: Applications, benefits, limitations, emerging research themes and research agenda

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 industries – cobalt mining and pharmaceuticals – and 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 supply-chain coordination; and sensing market trends. Critical success factors for implementation are companies’ 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.

Blockchain for Supply Chain Traceability: Business Requirements and Critical Success Factors

Demystifying blockchain: A critical analysis of challenges, applications and opportunities

In recent years, with the growth of international trade and development of economies, the volume of container throughput at China's ports has grown rapidly. Yet, the business process for the Less Container Load LCL transport industry in most ports of China still remain complicated and inefficient. In this article, the authors see numerous opportunities for process improvement by integrating the information among the various actors using the blockchain concept. In this paper, the authors propose to build a LCL Export Platform LEP using the blockchain concept to optimize the LCL operations for international trading, by integrating and sharing information among forwarder agencies and their clients.

YiFei Zhao

Papers

A Blockchain Model for Less Container Load Operations in China