A Private Blockchain Platform to Manage Data Exchange Between Supply Chain Partners

Abstract

In a complex and changing market environment, enterprises recognize the benefit of collaborating with their suppliers and B2B customers to minimize risks and increase the agility and efficiency of the overall supply chain. To ensure this collaboration, they are asked to share real-time data related to their activities (stock, capacity, etc.) and to collaborate with their partners to optimize operation management, to reduce costs and reach optimal service level. Therefore, they require robust and reliable IT platforms allowing partners to exchange sensitive information and guarantee transparency but also security. That explains the increasing interest among supply chain practitioners and academicians toward the blockchain technology thanks to what it promises in terms of security, transparency and automation. In this paper, we present initial steps of a study aiming to develop, test and deploy a supply chain collaboration platform using the blockchain technology. The purpose of our study is to present answers to many unsolved questions related to the ability of the blockchain technology to manage real scale supply chain data and maintain the promised advantages.