Blockchain in Logistics

A special issue of Logistics (ISSN 2305-6290).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2018) | Viewed by 72779

Special Issue Editor

Sr. Managing Consultant, Watson Cognitive Solutions CoC, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Interests: supply chain management; supply risk; machine learning; cognitive computing; artificial intelligence; exponential technology and abundance thinking; transformation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As supply chains are under more and more pressure to deliver flawless client experiences, the role of logistics has become more crucial than ever before. It is not enough to produce a truly innovative and quality product; today, that product has to be able to be ordered through a variety of channels, and order status has to be updated and made available to the customer in real-time, every step of the way, until it is in their hands.

Logistics execution measures are linked tightly with supply chain performance. If inbound supply is late, damaged, or otherwise unusable, there is a ripple effect through manufacturing and fulfillment. If outbound shipments are not fully visible and ultimately delivered when and where the customer is expecting them, clients become dissatisfied.

There are lots of process transformations and technologies that can be brought to bear on these challenges. In the upcoming Special Issue of Logistics, we will focus exclusively on using blockchain-based solutions to better manage logistics in the supply chain and seek to understand how blockchain can be leveraged to improve supply chain performance, specifically in the area of logistics.

Authors are cordially invited to submit original research papers, review articles, and empirical studies to Logistics for the 31 July 2018 issue. Manuscripts or papers can be submitted on the following topics:

  1. Blockchain and its impact on logistics and supply chains.
  2. Top blockchain use cases for logistics providers.
  3. What data is required on the blockchain, and what ways organizations can harness blockchain data.
  4. Mechanisms for understanding current logistics performance and identify pain points.
  5. How to leverage established systems of record while implementing a blockchain solution.
  6. Use data captured within the blockchain to optimize logistics.
  7. Global scenarios, legislation, and adoption of blockchain/smart contracts/distributed ledgers within logistics.

Dr. Arun P. Gupta
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Logistics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Blockchain
  • Logistics
  • Multi-modal transportation
  • Visualize logistics performance with Blockchain
  • Use Blockchain data to optimize logistics performance
  • Redesign logistics networks using Blockchain data
  • Logistics process transformation with Blockchain

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 787 KiB  
Article
Combining Blockchain Technology and the Physical Internet to Achieve Triple Bottom Line Sustainability: A Comprehensive Research Agenda for Modern Logistics and Supply Chain Management
by Horst Treiblmaier
Logistics 2019, 3(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics3010010 - 27 Feb 2019
Cited by 76 | Viewed by 12031
Abstract
Integrating triple bottom line (TBL) goals into supply chains (SCs) is a challenging task which necessitates the careful coordination of numerous stakeholders’ individual interests. Recent technological advancements can impact TBL sustainability by changing the design, structure, and management of modern SCs. Blockchain technology [...] Read more.
Integrating triple bottom line (TBL) goals into supply chains (SCs) is a challenging task which necessitates the careful coordination of numerous stakeholders’ individual interests. Recent technological advancements can impact TBL sustainability by changing the design, structure, and management of modern SCs. Blockchain technology enables immutable data records and facilitates a shared data view along the supply chain. The Physical Internet (PI) is an overarching framework that can be applied to create a layered and comprehensive view of the SC. In this conceptual paper, I define and combine these technologies and derive several high-level research areas and research questions (RQ) to investigate adoption and management as well as structural SC issues. I suggest a theory-based research agenda for the years to come that exploits the strengths of rigorous academic research, while remaining relevant for industry. Furthermore, I suggest various well-established theories to tackle the respective research questions and provide specific directions for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain in Logistics)
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17 pages, 621 KiB  
Article
Blockchains for Supply Chain Management: Architectural Elements and Challenges Towards a Global Scale Deployment
by Antonios Litke, Dimosthenis Anagnostopoulos and Theodora Varvarigou
Logistics 2019, 3(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics3010005 - 18 Jan 2019
Cited by 101 | Viewed by 18992
Abstract
Blockchains are attracting the attention of stakeholders in many industrial domains, including the logistics and supply chain industries. Blockchain technology can effectively contribute in recording every single asset throughout its flow on the supply chain, contribute in tracking orders, receipts, and payments, while [...] Read more.
Blockchains are attracting the attention of stakeholders in many industrial domains, including the logistics and supply chain industries. Blockchain technology can effectively contribute in recording every single asset throughout its flow on the supply chain, contribute in tracking orders, receipts, and payments, while track digital assets such as warranties and licenses in a unified and transparent way. The paper provides, through its methodology, a detailed analysis of the blockchain fit in the supply chain industry. It defines the specific elements of blockchain that affect supply chain such as scalability, performance, consensus mechanism, privacy considerations, location proof and cost, and details on the impact that blockchains will have in disrupting the supply chain industry. Discussing the tradeoff between consensus cost, throughput and validation time it proceeds with a suggested high-level architectural approach, and concludes as a result with a discussion on changes needed and challenges faced for an in-vivo deployment of blockchains in the supply chain industry. While the technological features of modern blockchains can effectively facilitate supply chain uses cases, the various challenges that still remain, bring in front of us a wide set of needed changes and further research efforts for achieving a global, production level blockchain for the supply chain industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain in Logistics)
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19 pages, 368 KiB  
Article
Examples from Blockchain Implementations in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Exploring the Mindful Use of a New Technology
by Peter Verhoeven, Florian Sinn and Tino T. Herden
Logistics 2018, 2(3), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics2030020 - 11 Sep 2018
Cited by 67 | Viewed by 17565
Abstract
In the context of logistics, blockchain can help to increase end-to-end visibility along global supply chains. Thus, it can lead to improved tracking of goods and offer tamper-proof data to build trust among parties. Although a variety of blockchain use cases already exists, [...] Read more.
In the context of logistics, blockchain can help to increase end-to-end visibility along global supply chains. Thus, it can lead to improved tracking of goods and offer tamper-proof data to build trust among parties. Although a variety of blockchain use cases already exists, not all of them seem to rely on blockchain-specific features, but could rather be solved with traditional technologies. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to identify characteristic use cases described for blockchain in the field of LSCM and to analyze them regarding their mindful technology use based on five mindful technology adoption principles: engagement with the technology; Technological novelty seeking; awareness of local context; cognizance of alternative technologies; and anticipation of technology alteration. The authors identified five blockchain case clusters and chose one case for each category to be analyzed in detail. Most cases demonstrate high engagement with the technology, but there are significant differences when it comes to the other mindful use principles. This paper highlights the need to understand the problem and to apply the right technology in order to solve it. When solving a problem, care should be taken to address a technology’s unique features to ensure effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain in Logistics)
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14 pages, 499 KiB  
Article
Blockchain for and in Logistics: What to Adopt and Where to Start
by Mario Dobrovnik, David M. Herold, Elmar Fürst and Sebastian Kummer
Logistics 2018, 2(3), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics2030018 - 03 Sep 2018
Cited by 158 | Viewed by 22595
Abstract
Despite the claim that blockchain will revolutionise business and redefine logistics, existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that categorise blockchain application potentials and their implications. In particular, academic literature in transport and logistics to date has not sufficiently distinguished between blockchain [...] Read more.
Despite the claim that blockchain will revolutionise business and redefine logistics, existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that categorise blockchain application potentials and their implications. In particular, academic literature in transport and logistics to date has not sufficiently distinguished between blockchain adoption (‘what to adopt’) and the identification of the right business opportunity (‘where to start’). In response, this paper (1) uses Rogers’ (2003) ‘attributes of innovation framework’ to identify potential blockchain applications and (2) presents a framework explicating four transformation phases to subsequently categorise the identified areas of application according to their effects on organisational structures and processes. Using academic and practitioner literature, we classify possible applications for adoption and provide a framework to identify blockchain opportunities in the logistics industry, thereby helping managers to systematically assess where to start building organisational capabilities in order to successfully adopt and deploy blockchain-based technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain in Logistics)
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