Exploring the impact of blockchain on digitized Supply Chain flows: A literature review

Blockchain innovations are having a profound effect on the global financial industry, yet little is known about how the emerging technology can potentially disrupt other industries. The supply chain industry represents a prominent and very promising application scenario for blockchain to enable transparency among untrusted stakeholders as well as increased efficiency and traceability throughout production and distribution processes, however there is a lack of empirical research available in that field. The primary purpose of this research is to address that research gap by exploring the application of blockchain technologies in supply chains. First, this research examines recent literature to identify current inefficiencies in existing supply chain information technologies. Secondly, key features of blockchain are identified to provide a clear understanding of the technology. Thirdly, current applications are documented and categorized to identify where blockchain applications can have the most impact on the three flows of the supply chain. The analysis shows most of the process areas in supply chain that blockchain is expected to improve are informational, which given the large amount of interdependencies between flows, has a positive impact on the subsequent financial and material flows. Finally, recommendations for future research are given to address further research questions.