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Blockchain Technology for Enhancing Supply Chain Performance and Reducing the Threats Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 40717

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae, Papua New Guinea
Interests: decision making; Industry 4.0/5.0; healthcare waste management; machining; net zero economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Operations and Supply Chain Management, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai 400087, India
Interests: partner selection; collaborative network organization; managing supplier relations; service supply chain management; modeling and analysis of healthcare service operations; reverse logistics management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing Systems, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Near Vihar Lake, Mumbai 400087, India
Interests: production; industrial engineering; operations management
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Guest Editor
Victoria University Business School, Victoria University, Melbourne 3000, Australia
Interests: supply chain strategies; digitalisation; sustainable operations; firm competitiveness; qualitative and quantitative methods; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The blockchain is predicted to drastically transform the interactions and transactions that people have on the Internet, culminating in the breakthrough of a new economy. Therefore, the applications of blockchain transcend beyond the mere notion of buying and selling in governments, businesses, and public domains, ultimately affecting and revolutionising how these important sectors operate ( Seebacher and Schuritz, 2017). Blockchain technology enhances supply chain performance (i.e., traceability, transparency, traceability) through process tracking and regulatory compliance reporting.

Logistics services within the business environment branches into subcategories of product handling, storage as well as transportation in the traditional scheme. More recently, this definition has been revised such that the purpose of logistics service covers seven delivery rights, which are the right product, right condition, right time, right place, right customer, right cost, and right quantity (Queiroz and Fosso Wamba, 2019). These can only be achieved through the strategic management of transactional activities relating to the supply of the goods. As globalization has made the international exchange of goods easier, the material flow from the manufacturer to the end consumer becomes complex. This flow of goods is also accompanied by financial flow as well as information flow, which are not often in sync. In exchanging information relating to the goods, the simplest process still involves a fair amount of paperwork, which can account for approximately up to 15–20% of the shipping cost (Lal and Johnson, 2018). The digitalization of these processes will, therefore, result in a noticeable increase in revenue as well as provide a real-time information flow, which in turn boosts customer satisfaction. Many issues, such as varied cultural and human behavior and various regulatory policies, hinder risk management of global supply chains that could be dealt with ease with the help of the blockchain technology.

With the COVID-19 control protocols in place, human interactions have been restricted, and businesses are forced to interact through virtual platforms. As a result, blockchain technology continues to gain popularity among organizations by delivering substantial benefits such as reduction of intermediaries where the direct supplier and customer transaction is facilitated, nullifying the desire for reconciliations, and updated system for tracking asset movements and guaranteed quality data (Hughes, et al., 2019).

In the era of information technology and threats arising from pandemic (COVID-19), awareness about health consciousness and customer rights is increasing. The regulatory authorities are monitoring compliance of products and stakeholder requirements. This situation challenges the sustainable performance of the supply chain regarding meeting the quality, cost, delivery, resilience, and flexibility dimensions. Post-COVID-19, it is believed that e-commerce will continue to dominate, and last-mile delivery and pay per service will gain momentum. Online shopping practices have witnessed a surge above 50% in countries like India, Vietnam, and China during the COVID-19 period (Sharma et al., 2020). In this regard, the blockchain technology that makes the supply chain process secure by protecting against tampering, cybercrime, and fraud will gain wide acceptance.

Various preventive measures such as social distancing, lockdowns, travel restrictions, and shutdowns adopted during the pandemic have resulted in disruptions in supply chain activities in many sectors, and particularly in the health care sector. Healthcare service providers have closed their outpatient services to restrict accidental exposure of their staff to the virus. Hence, information technology-based communication channels have been developed to act as an interface between patient and healthcare staff. Many pharma companies are also trying to gain their market share through mobile app-based pharma businesses such as Medplus, Appolopharma, and others. However, widespread adoption of these technologies depends mostly on transparency and data security. Hence, the application of blockchain technology will help to boost telemedicine services.

Panic buying and irrational stockpiling of food items were experienced owing to the fear of anticipated shortage during lockdowns and shutdowns, shortage of labor, and restricted transportation activities during the pandemic. This has resulted in a disrupted food supply chain. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an innovative and resilient supply chain for food supply to reduce food shortages as well as wastages. The food supply chain involves a large number of stakeholders who are associated with the supply of raw materials, seeds, equipment, financing, harvesting, temporary storage, warehousing, and transportation. Further, regulatory and compliance reporting plays a vital role in managing the supply chain of perishable products such as vegetables, pharmaceutical products, fruits, consumer goods, and others. Hence, blockchain technology could offer a potential solution in smoothening the co-ordination among various stakeholders and making the supply chain a resilient one.

In managing logistics associated with humanitarian aid, blockchain technology can be explored for application in logistic management, information transfer, and data management, where it provides a traceable and accountable system to manage all financial expenses. It eliminates the lack of trust in business and funds deviation, thus eliminating the most critical cause for disastrous failure for most of the supply chains (Anh et al., 2019). Additionally, the respective contributors and donors can keep track of their donations with credibility and transparency. Furthermore, there can be a significant reduction in supply delays, restocking of inventories, as well as the expedited purchase of goods by reducing the communication and transitional complexities between suppliers and procurement officials ( Zhang et al., 2020).

It is hoped that the proposed Special Issue (SI) will critically present the current developments in blockchain technology (BCT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled supply chain networks. The SI is also expected to encourage research to explore the behavioral intention of customers as well practitioners toward the adoption of BCT integrated supply chain activities, which the current literature fails to address (Kautish and Sharma, 2019). The SI will also address and pave the path to address the complex challenges that current supply chains are experiencing amidst the global pandemic.

The primary focus of this issue will be to address the following research questions:

  • How will Blockchain technologies help in improving supply chain management?
  • What are the challenges for designing and implementing Blockchain technologies in sector-specific supply chains?
  • How can advanced decision-making techniques help to enhance the supply chain effectiveness in Industry 4.0 and Blockchain era?
  • How will Blockchain technologies integration help to improve the performance of supply chains involved with last-mile delivery?
  • How can Blockchain technologies be integrated with Big Data and Industry 4.0 to improve the responsiveness and flexibility of supply chains?
  • Will Blockchain technologies affect the resilience of the supply chains?
  • How can OR models help to implement Blockchain technologies in the manufacturing sectors to enhance the sustainability of their supply chains? 

The papers are expected to further our knowledge on:

  • How does Blockchain Technology help to improve the performance of the supply chain?
  • Challenges and prospects of blockchain technology-enabled supply chains
  • Modeling the critical success factors of digitalization of supply chains based on Blockchain technology
  • Assessment of performance of blockchain integrated supply chains
  • Blockchain technology for enhancing the sustainability of supply chains
  • Blockchain technology for the sustainable food supply chain
  • Blockchain technology for sustainable health care supply chain
  • Blockchain technology for enhancing the effectiveness of the humanitarian supply chain
  • Blockchain in e-government services delivery

References

  1. Anh, N. T. M., Hui, L., Khoa, V. D., & Mehmood, S. (2019). Relational capital and supply chain collaboration for radical and incremental innovation. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. Vol. 31, No.4, pp 1076-1094.
  2. Inamdar, Z., Raut, R., Narwane, V. S., Gardas, B., Narkhede, B., &Sagnak, M. (2020). A systematic literature review with bibliometric analysis of big data analytics adoption from period 2014 to 2018. Journal of Enterprise Information Management.https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-09-2019-0267
  3. Kautish, P., & Sharma, R. (2019). Managing online product assortment and order fulfillment for superior e-tailing service experience. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. Vol. 31 4pp. 1161-1192
  4. Queiroz, M. M., & Fosso Wamba, S. (2019). Blockchain adoption challenges in supply chain: An empirical investigation of the main drivers in India and the USA. International Journal of Information Management. Vol 46, pp. 70-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.11.021
  5. Raut, R. D., Mangla, S. K., Narwane, V. S., Gardas, B. B., Priyadarshinee, P., &Narkhede, B. E. (2019). Linking big data analytics and operational sustainability practices for sustainable business management. Journal of cleaner production, Vol. 224, pp. 10-24.
  6. Rodríguez-Espíndola, O., Chowdhury, S., Beltagui, A., & Albores, P. (2020). The potential of emergent disruptive technologies for humanitarian supply chains: the integration of blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and 3D printing. International Journal of Production Research. Vol. 58 No. 15, pp. 4610-4630. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1761565
  7. Saberi, S., Kouhizadeh, M., Sarkis, J., & Shen, L. (2019). Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management. International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 57 No. 7, pp.2117-2135.
  8. Seebacher, S., &Schüritz, R. (2017, May). Blockchain technology as an enabler of service systems: A structured literature review. In International Conference on Exploring Services Science(pp. 12-23). Springer, Cham.
  9. Sharma, H. B., Vanapalli, K. R., Cheela, V. S., Ranjan, V. P., Jaglan, A. K., Dubey, B., ... & Bhattacharya, J. (2020). Challenges, opportunities, and innovations for effective solid waste management during and post COVID-19 pandemic. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 105052.
  10. Wang, Jianhua, Zhao, W., & Wan, D. (2019). Simulations of Self-Propelled Fully Appended Ship Model at Different Speeds. International Journal of Computational Methods. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219876218400157.
  11. Wang, S. (2019). Wang Y., Singgih M., Wang J., Rit M. Making sense of blockchain technology: How will it transform supply chains, 221-236.
  12. Zhang, A., Zhong, R. Y., Farooque, M., Kang, K., & Venkatesh, V. G. (2020). Blockchain-based life cycle assessment: An implementation framework and system architecture. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. Vol. 152, PP. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104512

Dr. Kamalakanta Muduli
Dr. Rakesh Raut
Dr. Balkrishna Eknath Narkhede
Dr. Himanshu Shee
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Supply chain performance
  • COVID-19
  • Blockchain
  • Industry 4.0
  • Big-data analytics
  • Food supply chain

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 167 KiB  
Editorial
Blockchain Technology for Enhancing Supply Chain Performance and Reducing the Threats Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Kamalakanta Muduli, Rakesh Raut, Balkrishna Eknath Narkhede and Himanshu Shee
Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3290; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063290 - 11 Mar 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3779
Abstract
The blockchain is expected to radically alter people’s real-time interactions and transactions, culminating in the birth of a new economy in a digital era [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

22 pages, 4223 KiB  
Article
Assessing Effectiveness of Humanitarian Activities against COVID-19 Disruption: The Role of Blockchain-Enabled Digital Humanitarian Network (BT-DHN)
by Sudhanshu Joshi, Manu Sharma, Rashmi Prava Das, Kamalakanta Muduli, Rakesh Raut, B. E. Narkhede, Himanshu Shee and Abhishek Misra
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031904 - 7 Feb 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3787
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 214 countries across the world, disrupting the supply of essential commodities. As the pandemic has spread, humanitarian activities (HAs) have attempted to manage the various situation but appear ineffective due to lack of collaboration and information [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 214 countries across the world, disrupting the supply of essential commodities. As the pandemic has spread, humanitarian activities (HAs) have attempted to manage the various situation but appear ineffective due to lack of collaboration and information sharing, inability to respond towards disruption, etc. This study aims to determine and provide insights into the critical factors that may enhance the effectiveness of HAs during the pandemic. A systematic literature review was undertaken to explore critical factors and validated by experts using the fuzzy–Delphi method. These were further assessed to identify the cause-and-effect relationship by means of the fuzzy decision-making trial and laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The results show that building a blockchain-enabled digital humanitarian network (BT-DHN) is the most significant factor during the pandemic. The use of digital platforms for sharing real-time information enhances the effectiveness of HAs. This study offers stakeholders, policymakers, and decision-makers the opportunity to consider these factors in strategic planning to deal with pandemic disruption. Full article
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21 pages, 4865 KiB  
Article
Blockchain Technology for Enhancing Traceability and Efficiency in Automobile Supply Chain—A Case Study
by Nesrin Ada, Manavalan Ethirajan, Anil Kumar, Vimal K.E.K, Simon Peter Nadeem, Yigit Kazancoglu and Jayakrishna Kandasamy
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13667; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413667 - 10 Dec 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 8705
Abstract
A robust traceability system would help organizations in inventory optimization reduce lead time and improve customer service and quality which further enables the organizations to be a leader in their industry sector. This research study analyzes the challenges faced by the automotive industry [...] Read more.
A robust traceability system would help organizations in inventory optimization reduce lead time and improve customer service and quality which further enables the organizations to be a leader in their industry sector. This research study analyzes the challenges faced by the automotive industry in its supply chain operations. Further, the traceability issues and waiting time at different nodes of the supply chain are considered to be priority issues that affect the overall supply chain efficiency in the automotive supply chain. After studying the existing blockchain architectures and their implementation methodology, this study proposes a new blockchain-based architecture to improve traceability and reduce waiting time for the automotive supply chain. A hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture is developed to track the ownership transfers in inbound and outbound logistics. The simulation results of the proposed hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture show that there is an improvement in the traceability of items at different nodes of the supply chain that enhances the Inventory Quality Ratio (IQR) and the mean waiting time is reduced at the factory, wholesaler, and retailer, which thereby improves the overall supply chain efficiency. The blockchain embedded supply chain is more capable to eliminate the risks and uncertainties associated with the automotive supply chain. The benefits of adopting blockchain technology in the automotive supply chain are also described. The developed blockchain-based framework is capable to get more visibility into goods movement and inventory status in automotive supply chains. Full article
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16 pages, 2213 KiB  
Article
Blockchain-Based Model to Improve the Performance of the Next-Generation Digital Supply Chain
by Sumit Kumar Rana, Hee-Cheol Kim, Subhendu Kumar Pani, Sanjeev Kumar Rana, Moon-Il Joo, Arun Kumar Rana and Satyabrata Aich
Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10008; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810008 - 7 Sep 2021
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 9102
Abstract
In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, all aspects of the industrial domain are being affected by emerging technologies. Digitalization of every process is taking place or under process. One of the most important components common to every domain is the supply [...] Read more.
In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, all aspects of the industrial domain are being affected by emerging technologies. Digitalization of every process is taking place or under process. One of the most important components common to every domain is the supply chain process. Organizations employ a digital supply chain to track the delivery of their products or materials. The digital supply chain is still suffering from a few issues such as no provenance, less transparency, and a trust issue. Blockchain technology, one of the emerging technologies, can be integrated with the supply chain to deal with the existing issues and to improve its performance. In this paper, a model is proposed to integrate blockchain technology with the supply chain to improve performance. The proposed model uses the combination of the Ethereum blockchain and the interplanetary file system to maintain the traceability, transparency, and trustworthiness of the supply chain. Full article
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29 pages, 3393 KiB  
Article
E-Agricultural Supply Chain Management Coupled with Blockchain Effect and Cooperative Strategies
by Mohammed Alkahtani, Qazi Salman Khalid, Muhammad Jalees, Muhammad Omair, Ghulam Hussain and Catalin Iulian Pruncu
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 816; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020816 - 15 Jan 2021
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 8018
Abstract
The agricultural industry is highly underdeveloped and requires transformation in technology for food safety and reliability. A digital world is relying on blockchain technology for the successful implementation of sustainable e-agricultural supply chain management (e-Agri-SCM). In current advancements of blockchain in digital marketing, [...] Read more.
The agricultural industry is highly underdeveloped and requires transformation in technology for food safety and reliability. A digital world is relying on blockchain technology for the successful implementation of sustainable e-agricultural supply chain management (e-Agri-SCM). In current advancements of blockchain in digital marketing, product website design (web design) is essential to streamline the requirements of the customer and the expectations of supply chain partners. The current research has incorporated the blockchain effect by web design elements into the agricultural supply chain management (Agri-SCM) study. In addition, partners in the digital marketing supply chain (DM-SCM) are also facing issues to identify significant web design elements-based blockchain technology to gain maximum profit. Therefore, a cooperative (Co-op) sustainable e-agricultural SCM model is developed in this study by considering the web design index and variable demand to decide shipments, selling price, cycle time, and advertisement cost for agriculture products. The uncertainties in the model due to intangible web design elements and basic costs are dealt with by the application of the fuzzy system whereas carbon emission is also considered for providing cleaner production. A real-time application of the proposed model is done by undertaking five different cases based on mutual share, demand curve, and advertisement budget among participants. The sensitivity analysis is also performed to identify important factors of the total profit. Findings of this work include significant web design elements (WDEs) i.e., web graphics, search engine optimization, cyber-security, fast loading, and navigation, as essentials for digital marketing to convince customers towards the product in a global SCM. The numerical results and managerial insights are advantageous for managers to get maximum profit by cooperative and digital marketing strategies to attain e-Agri-SCM. Full article
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Other

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32 pages, 2330 KiB  
Systematic Review
On Deploying Blockchain Technologies in Supply Chain Strategies and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Outlook
by Mohammad Nabipour and M. Ali Ülkü
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10566; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910566 - 23 Sep 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4712
Abstract
The emergence of a new pandemic, known as COVID-19, has touched various sections of the supply chain (SC). Since then, numerous studies have been conducted on the issue, but the need for a holistic review study that highlights the gaps and limits of [...] Read more.
The emergence of a new pandemic, known as COVID-19, has touched various sections of the supply chain (SC). Since then, numerous studies have been conducted on the issue, but the need for a holistic review study that highlights the gaps and limits of previous research, as well as opportunities and agendas for future studies, is palpable. Through a systematic literature review on blockchain technology (BCT) deployment in supply-chain management (SCM) concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, this research seeks to add to the content of previous studies and to enlighten the path for future studies. Relevant papers were found using a variety of resources (Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ProQuest). Seventy-two articles were systematically selected, considering the PRISMA procedure, and were thoroughly analyzed based on BCT, methodologies, industrial sectors, geographical, and sustainability context. According to our findings, there is a significant lack of empirical and quantitative methodologies in the literature. The majority of studies did not take specific industries into account. Furthermore, the articles focusing on the sustainability context are few, particularly regarding social and environmental issues. In addition, most of the reviewed papers did not consider the geographical context. The results indicate that the deployment of BCT in several sectors is not uniform, and this utilization is reliant on their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the concentration of research on the impacts of the BCT on SCM differs according to the conditions of various countries in terms of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also show that there is a direct relationship between the deployment of BCT and sustainability factors, such as economic and waste issues, under the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Finally, this study offers research opportunities and agendas to help academics and other stakeholders to gain a better knowledge of the present literature, recognize aspects that necessitate more exploration, and drive prospective studies. Full article
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