Content uploaded by Glenn Charles Parry
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Glenn Charles Parry on May 11, 2020
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Blockchain: case studies in food supply chain visibility
Abstract and Figures
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how blockchain has moved beyond cryptocurrencies and is being deployed to enhance visibility and trust in supply chains, their limitations and potential impact.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative analysis are undertaken via case studies drawn from food companies using semi-structured interviews.
Findings
Blockchain is demonstrated as an enabler of visibility in supply chains. Applications at scale are most likely for products where the end consumer is prepared to pay the premium currently required to fund the technology, e.g. baby food. Challenges remain in four areas: trust of the technology, human error and fraud at the boundaries, governance, consumer data access and willingness to pay.
Research limitations/implications
The paper shows that blockchain can be utilised as part of a system generating visibility and trust in supply chains. Research directs academic attention to issues that remain to be addressed. The challenges pertaining to the technology itself we believe to be generalisable; those specific to the food industry may not hold elsewhere.
Practical implications
From live case studies, we provide empirical evidence that blockchain provides visibility of exchanges and reliable data in fully digitised supply chains. This provides provenance and guards against counterfeit goods. However, firms will need to work to gain consumer buy-in for the technology following repeated past claims of trustworthiness.
Originality/value
This paper provides primary evidence from blockchain use cases “in the wild”. The exploratory case studies examine application of blockchain for supply chain visibility.
Figures - uploaded by Glenn Charles Parry
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Glenn Charles Parry
Content may be subject to copyright.
... With the prevalent adoption of blockchain technology in supply chains, the cases of blockchain application in the WSC are often cited as compelling evidence of how blockchain technology can be used to improve supply chain traceability, visibility, trust, etc. [29][30][31]. Meanwhile, some scholars have undertaken detailed case studies of implementing blockchain technology within the WSC. ...
Blockchain technology has been adopted to improve traceability and authenticity in wine supply chains (WSCs). However, whether through outsourcing or self-implementation of a blockchain-based wine traceability system (BTS), there are significant costs involved, as well as concerns regarding consumer privacy. Motivated by observations of real-world practice, we explore the value of blockchain in enhancing traceability and authenticity in WSCs through a Stackelberg game-theoretical analysis. By comparing the equilibrium solutions of the scenarios with and without blockchain, we uncover the value of blockchain in tracing wine products. Our findings show that blockchain adoption can increase WSC prices under certain conditions. We derive the threshold for a third-party BTS service fee that determines blockchain adoption for tracing wine products and reveal the moderating effect of consumer traceability preferences and privacy concerns. Furthermore, the investigation of who should lead the implementation of BTS finds that the equal cost sharing between the manufacturer and the retailer results in no difference in BTS implementation leadership. Otherwise, the manufacturer always benefits from taking the lead in the implementation of BTS, and the retailer should undertake a leadership role in BTS implementation if they need to bear higher costs.
... Some researchers have studied consumer perceptions and the demand for blockchain applications. Rogerson and Parry [22] utilized semi-structured interviews to investigate how blockchain works, how it has been developed to enhance visibility and trust along the supply chain, and what limitations it may have. Interestingly, they found that the most appropriate product to adopt blockchain technology is the one for which end-consumers are ready to pay the premium for blockchain, such as baby food. ...
Although previous research has identified that consumers are willing to pay for traceability, it remains unknown which types of traceability information might have the highest value, and whether consumers have an intrinsic value for blockchain technology above and beyond the instrumental value of providing traceability. A choice experiment was conducted with over 1500 consumers in Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S. In all three countries, consumers were willing to pay premiums for beef with traceability related to all parts of the supply chain, country of origin, and temperature history; however, the preference ordering of beef from different countries varied across Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S. The intrinsic value of using blockchain to deliver traceability information differed by country and by attribute, and consumers in the U.S. were most sensitive to the information describing blockchain technology. Even when traceability conveys negative information, such as temperature rising above safe levels for a short period, we find that consumers prefer knowing to not knowing, suggesting uncertainty and ambiguity aversion.
... La majorité des études se focalisent sur l'impact des technologies digitales sur différents domaines, tels que le développement durable, la structure organisationnelle, la production lean, le développement de produits et la gestion stratégique. Cependant, les travaux étudiant le rôle des technologies digitales dans l'amélioration de la visibilité de la chaîne logistique sont encore émergents (Moshood et al., 2021 ;Rogerson & Parry, 2020). ...
L’industrie 4.0 ne cesse pas de se développer au sein de l’industrie mondiale alors que les petites et moyennes entreprise (PMEs) de sous-traitance électronique (EMS) françaises ont accumulé du retard sur la digitalisation de leurs processus supply chain. Souffrant d’une demande client très volatile et d’une importante valorisation de stock, elles n’avaient pas les ressources nécessaires pour mettre en place des outils facilitant la gestion de leur chaîne logistique. Quel sont les outils permettant de gérer au mieux la visibilité de la chaîne logistique des EMS ? L’arrivée des outils de pilotage intelligent, plus flexibles et moins coûteux est une opportunité pour ces PMEs de rattraper le retard accumulé. Disposant pour la plupart, de machines de production récentes, elles ont, grâce à l’internet des objets (IoT), la possibilité de lier leurs machines à de nouveaux systèmes d’informations pour pouvoir cartographier les flux et remonter de l’information dans le but d’optimiser la visibilité de leur chaîne logistique. De plus, les possibilités apportées par une récupération fiable de leurs données leur permettraient d’évoluer dans un environnement de collaboration horizontale et verticale dans le but de renforcer la place des PMEs dans cette industrie nouvelle. Dans cet article, nous tentons d’identifier l’apport des nouvelles technologies digitales à la chaine logistique des EMS, puis, de démontrer comment la collaboration-digitalisation-big-data constituent aujourd’hui les nouveaux paradigmes de la logistique et de l’industrie 4.0 à l’ère du digital.
... Therefore, dealing with inefficiency within SC operations Xue et al. (2021) find that blockchain is a helpful tool to realize the goal of SC management to reduce cost, improve quality and enhance the overall efficiency of the system. Blockchain improves the efficiency of the process: it reduces the number of operations, reduces the average time of orders in the system, reduces workload, shows traceability of orders and improves visibility to various supply chain participants (Rogerson et Parry, 2020;Martinez et al., 2019. Blockchain technology (BT) increases the operational transparency of the Supply Chain and the trust that is built between members of the Supply Chain, which improves coordination (Dubey et al., 2020). ...
The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the contributions and barriers of digitalization and industry 4.0 within supply chain (SC). The paper performs a systematic literature review through the management research data bases published between the period of 2012 and January 2021. The paper shows that digitization and Industry 4.0 improve firm information system, enhance management processes and insure competitiveness. However, it also found that the stigmas left by previous technologies, the lack of industry specific guidelines, lack of digital skills and talents, or lack of top management commitment prevent the adoption of these technologies in the SC. The choice made by limiting analysis on the HCERES journals restricts the scope and future analysis should enlarge the area.
... Blockchain can securely trace the textile supply chain from raw ingredients to manufacture and distribution. Visibility increases accountability, inhibits counterfeiting and fraud, and guarantees ethical and environmental standards (Rogerson & Parry, 2020). ...
This study aims to examine the mediating role perceived usefulness between supply chain collaboration and the intention to use blockchain in the textile industry of Pakistan. A cross-sectional method is conducted, and data is gathered with the help of the adopted questionnaire from previous studies. The HR department of the concerned firm is requested to circulate the printed questionnaire among middle-level employees of the firm. A total of 240 cases are considered in this study. Five Likert scales, from strongly disagree to agree strongly, are considered to test the suggested hypotheses based on previous studies. The findings of this study confirmed the direct effect of supply chain collaboration on the intention to use the blockchain and the partial mediation effect of perceived usefulness is revealed. There are few studies on supply chain collaboration, blockchain use, and perceived usefulness in developing countries like Pakistan's textile industry, especially among middle-level employees. Existing scholarship ignores emerging countries' textile sectors and extends results to other industries. The insights also help managers create blockchain-integrated supply chain strategies. Blockchain technology may be maximized via technology providers and industry-wide cooperation. These practical consequences may improve developing nations' textile supply chains' efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness. The insights also help managers create blockchain-integrated supply chain strategies. Blockchain technology may be maximized via technology providers and industry-wide cooperation.
... Digitization is facilitated by implementing blockchain in SCM, allowing for the transformation of manual processes into more automated and connected forms (Parviainen et al., 2017). This reduces human errors (Rogerson & Parry, 2020), improves accuracy, and enhances overall efficiency in supply chain operations. ...
This study explored the potentials and barriers to the implementation of blockchain technology in supply chain management (SCM). The purpose of the research was to determine the potential of implementing blockchain technology to enhance SCM performance, identify the challenges faced in implementing blockchain in SCM, and understand the constraints and obstacles that needed to be overcome for successful implementation. The research method applied was a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) using the PRISMA Protocol, with 73 papers collected from 2018 to June 2023. Data analysis was conducted through Meta-Synthesis. The findings provided insights into the theoretical, policy, and managerial implications of implementing blockchain technology in SCM, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this field.
Indigenous people are considering how to safeguard their natural resources, culture and knowledge against illegal, inappropriate or unauthorised use. Such protection is needed to maintain the integrity of Indigenous relationship to and control over such resources, while allowing for potential benefits from such resources to support tribal social and economic development. Using the case study of taramea ( Aciphylla aurea), a sub-alpine speargrass, traditionally used to make fragrance by Ngāi Tahu (a large tribe from the South Island, New Zealand), we assess potential approaches to protection, ranging from national and international intellectual property approaches such as trademarking, copyright and patenting to extra-legal approaches such as supply chain auditing, blockchain, biocultural trademarks and biocultural labels. From this assessment, we evaluate approaches’ usefulness against a range of Indigenous and market-oriented attributes. We find that while each approach has advantages and disadvantages, no one method is superior, so we recommend a mix of approaches.
Agriculture is an important sector in any economy as it offers food security. Food security can best be attained by understanding available resources and how to distribute them, procure them in times of shortages, and preserve the total reserves. This study aimed to establish supply chains that are synonymous with the demand and supply of agricultural products. Research questions for the study are: i) what is the impact of sustainable agricultural supply chains on food security in Zimbabwe; ii) what are the challenges that agricultural supply chains face in Zimbabwe; iii) what risks and safety measures are faced in agricultural supply chains; and iv) what solutions may be proposed to challenges faced in agricultural supply chains in Zimbabwe. Literature was reviewed to establish models that are used in food supply chains. Reviewed sources from journals, books and articles written in English to avoid translation were used as sources of information. The study sought to use the findings to inform stakeholders on weaknesses and areas where opportunities can be exploited to increase food security in Zimbabwe. To the best knowledge of the research team, the study has not been carried out anywhere in Zimbabwe and is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge. The study is limited to desk research of food supply chains, which cannot be generalized. This study is also limited to the study of supply chains of finished products without investigating the supply chains of raw materials (inputs) of the same, which might influence the finished products.
Supply chain quality management practices are necessary to improve processes, meet consumer quality needs, and enhance supply chain quality management performance in sustainable food networks. Food supply chain quality management and associated practices are considerably studied in global food systems, less so for alternative food networks. There are salient differences between global food systems and alternative food networks, which may reflect on the applicable supply chain quality management practices in the food systems and networks. This paper reviews the literature on supply chain quality management practices, with a focus on alternative food networks. A systematic literature review methodology is adopted, resulting in the analysis of seventy-eight papers, identifying a total of one hundred and three supply chain quality management practices. The identified supply chain quality management practices were analysed in relation to their link to a) place, production, and producer and b) link to (bio)processes. Emerging themes from the analysis are discussed, and some areas of future research were put forward.
The potential of blockchain has been extensively discussed in practitioner literature, yet rigorous empirical and theory-driven information systems (IS) research on blockchain remains scarce. This special issue addresses the need for innovative research that offers a fresh look at the opportunities and challenges of blockchain. This editorial integrates and goes beyond the papers included in this special issue by providing a framework for blockchain research in IS that emphasizes two important issues. First, we direct the attention of IS research toward the blockchain protocol level, which is characterized by recursive interactions between human agents and the blockchain protocol. Second, we highlight the need for IS research to consider how the protocol level constrains and affords blockchain applications, and how these constraints and other concerns at the application level lead to changes at the protocol level. Rooted in a socio-material view of IS, we offer a multi-paradigmatic IS research agenda that underscores the need for behavioral (individual, group, and organizational), design science, and IS economics research on blockchain. Our research agenda emphasizes issues of blockchain governance, human and material agency, blockchain affordances and constraints, as well as the consequences of its use.
We develop a perspective of IT innovation in the public sector as a process that involves three complementary areas of ideology and concomitant dispute: first, the widespread view of e‐government as a transformative force that leads to major improvements of public sector functions for the benefit of society at large; second, ideologies concerning the substantive policies enacted by public sector organizations; and third, ideology regarding public sector modernization. Our research examines how the objectives of IT projects and their actual effects in government are influenced by such ideologies and contestations that surround them. We develop our theoretical contribution with a critical discourse analysis that traces the ideological underpinnings of two consecutive IT projects for the administration of international trade in Mexico. This analysis associates the objectives of the IT projects with the emergence and ensuing contestation in Mexican politics of two ideologies: the first ideology concerns free international trade as imperative for economic development; the second ideology concerns public sector modernization that sought to overcome historically formed dysfunctionalities of public administration bureaucracies by adopting management practices from the private sector. The analysis then identifies the effects of the ideologically shaped IT projects on two key values of public administration: efficiency and legality. The insights of this research on the role of ideology in IT innovation complement organizational perspectives of e‐government; socio‐cognitive perspectives that focus on ideas and meaning, such as technology frames and organizing visions; and perspectives that focus on politics in IT innovation.
Though there is a wide acceptance of the strategic importance of integrating operations with suppliers and customers in supply chains, many questions remain unanswered about how best to characterize supply chain strategies. Is it more important to link with suppliers, customers, or both? Similarly, we know little about the connections between supplier and customer integration and improved operations performance. This paper investigated supplier and customer integration strategies in a global sample of 322 manufacturers. Scales were developed for measuring supply chain integration and five different strategies were identified in the sample. Each of these strategies is characterized by a different “arc of integration”, representing the direction (towards suppliers and/or customers) and degree of integration activity. There was consistent evidence that the widest degree of arc of integration with both suppliers and customers had the strongest association with performance improvement. The implications for our findings on future research and practice in the new millennium are considered.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the combined impact of radio frequency identification (RFID), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Blockchain technologies on supply chain transparency (SCT).
Design/methodology/approach
Data from 211 US manufacturing managers is analyzed using a covariance-based structural equation modeling methodology.
Findings
The structural model fits the data relatively well. RFID technology directly and positively impact both IIoT and Blockchain technologies which, in turn, directly and positively impact SCT. RFID technology indirectly affects SCT through both IIoT technology and Blockchain technology.
Research limitations/implications
This study is the first to empirically assess the impact of RFID, IIoT and Blockchain technologies on SCT. First-wave empirical studies must be replicated to support generalization of the findings.
Practical implications
This study provides empirical evidence to support the implementation of a combination of RFID, IIoT and Blockchain technologies as infrastructure necessary to achieve end-to-end SCT.
Originality/value
New measurement scales for IIoT technology utilization and Blockchain technology utilization are developed and assessed for validity and reliability. This is the first study to assess the combined impact of RFID, IIoT and Blockchain technologies on SCT.
Purpose
There is a lot of interest in blockchain in the supply chain and several papers call it a disruptive technology. Existing research, however, is mostly conceptual and focused on use-case development and early pilots. This paper aims to report the findings from a workshop with managers aimed at empirically exploring what adoption rates and focus areas are for blockchain in the supply chain, what drives blockchain in the supply chain applications and what barriers are to the implementation of blockchain in the supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
A workshop with managers was organized to empirically explore blockchain adoption levels and focus areas in the supply chain, as well as drivers and barriers of implementation.
Findings
Workshop participants reported that adoption of blockchain in the supply chain today is very limited but actively considered by many. Drivers for this consideration include achieving greater transparency and visibility, as well as, improving processes and reducing costs. Participants identify many barriers, including a lack of understanding of costs and benefits of blockchain in the supply chain. Interestingly, participants report less concern about the feasibility of the technology implying managerial consideration if progressing beyond the technology and into the potential adoption of it. As a result, participants may be moving beyond the hype surrounding blockchain and giving consideration to the many remaining questions. A working technology does not yet mean that there is a feasible supply chain adoption. As a result, it may be too early to tell whether blockchain will be a disruptive technology. This paper identifies several fruitful areas for further consideration by management and in research.
Originality/value
As there is little empirical research on blockchain in the supply chain, this paper moves beyond use-case development and the exploration of pilot cases and studies how companies may consider supply chain adoption beyond the pilot and the early development of blockchain. Although only offering an initial exploration, this paper uncovers progress being reported in industry and many areas where further consideration and research can help advance thinking and practice.
Problem definition: Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology. While it has grown in prominence, its full potential and possible downsides are not fully understood yet, especially with respect to operations management (OM). Academic/practical relevance: This article fills this gap. Methodology: After briefly reviewing the technical foundations, we explore multiple business and policy aspects. Results: We identify five key strengths, the corresponding five main weaknesses, and three research themes of applying blockchain technology to OM. The key strengths are (1) visibility, (2) aggregation, (3) validation, (4) automation, and (5) resiliency. The corresponding weaknesses are (1) lack of privacy, (2) lack of standardization, (3) garbage in, garbage out, (4) black box effect, and (5) inefficiency. The three research themes are (1) information, (2) automation, and (3) tokenization. Managerial implications: We illustrate these research themes with multiple promising research problems, ranging from classical inventory management, to new areas of ethical OM, and to questions of industrial organization.
Purpose
This paper aims to encourage the study of blockchain technology from an operations and supply chain management (OSCM) perspective, identifying potential areas of application, and to provide an agenda for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
An explanation and analysis of blockchain technology is provided to identify implications for the field of OSCM.
Findings
The hype around the opportunities that digital ledger technologies offer is high. For OSCM, a myriad of ways in which blockchain could transform practice are identified, including enhancing product safety and security; improving quality management; reducing illegal counterfeiting; improving sustainable supply chain management; advancing inventory management and replenishment; reducing the need for intermediaries; impacting new product design and development; and reducing the cost of supply chain transactions. The immature state of practice and research surrounding blockchain means there is an opportunity for OSCM researchers to study the technology in its early stages and shape its adoption.
Research limitations/implications
The paper provides a platform for new research that addresses gaps in knowledge and advances the field of OSCM. A research agenda is developed around six key themes.
Practical implications
There are many opportunities for organisations to obtain an advantage by making use of blockchain technology ahead of the competition, enabling them to enhance their market position. But it is important that managers examine the characteristics of their products, services and supply chains to determine whether they need or would benefit sufficiently from the adoption of blockchain. Moreover, it is important that organisations build human capital expertise that allows them to develop, implement and exploit applications of this technology to maximum reward.
Originality/value
This is one of the first papers in a leading international OSCM journal to analyse blockchain technology, thereby complementing a recent article on digital supply chains that omitted blockchain.
Blockchains are increasingly studied in the context of new applications. Permissioned blockchains promise to deal with the issue of complete removal of trust, a notion that is currently the hallmark of the developed society. Before the idea is adopted in contexts where resource efficiency and fast operation is a requirement, one could legitimately ask the question: can permissioned blockchains match the performance of traditional large‐scale databases? This paper compares two popular frameworks, Hyperledger Fabric and Apache Cassandra, as representatives of permissioned blockchains and distributed databases, respectively. We compare their latency for varying workloads and network sizes. The results show that, for small systems, blockchains can start to compete with traditional databases, but also that the difference in consistency models and differences in setup can have a large impact on the resulting performance.
Blockchain, as a decentralized ledger technology with characteristics of transparent, secure, permanent and immutable, has been applied in many fields such as cryptocurrency, equity financing, and corporate governance. However, the blockchain technology is in the experimental stage and has several problems to be solved including limited data processing capacity, information confidentiality, and regulatory difficulties. This study sheds light on the potential application of blockchain technology in financial accounting and its possible impacts. We argue that in the short run the public blockchain could be used as a platform for firms to voluntarily disclose information. In the long run, the application could effectively reduce errors in disclosure and earnings management, increase the quality of accounting information and mitigate information asymmetry. We also discuss potential impacts that the application will have on independent auditors and financial accountants.