Blockchain Technology Applications: A Conceptual Framework from a Supply Chain Perspective

by Roger Heines

The potential offered by Blockchain Technology (BCT) represents incredible improvements and possibilities. Physical documents are no longer the only means to create thrust between unknown disparate parties or agents. For that reason the research aims to explore applications of BCT in general and to specify the individual usage for SCM and SCF solutions in particular. Beside a relevant desk research to identify use cases, a systematic analysis and discussion is conducted. As a result a framework for both, research and practice, has been elaborated to understand how BCT impacts existing structures in order to provide a differentiated basis for problem-solving, implementation and decision making.

Starting with bitcoin in 2008 and further supported by the rise of FinTech, Blockchain as a technology has gained a lot of attention recently. Only generic investigation in form of white papers, reports and studies have been undertaken. So far, there is no in depth scientific work that systematically explores how BCT should be used. Moreover, a practical framework is missing, explaining the potential for finance and supply chain management to converge on this scale. In order to fill this research gap following aspects have been addressed:

How does BCT impact existing structures concerning the financial and the material flow?
- Identify and analyze the application potential generally and in particular
- Quantify and evaluate the impact within the practical context
- Identify characteristics and schemes for SCF - Solutions
- Develop of an conceptual approach and practical framework for SCF

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2017