International Workshop on Successful Strategies in Supply Chain Management Sample Template Paper

1. 
Introduction
Widely considered as one of the most disruptive technologies, blockchain technology 
(essentially a peer-to-peer distributed database) enables the creation of decentralized 
currencies such as Bitcoin, self-executing digital contracts (smart contracts) and intelligent 
assets that can be controlled over the Internet (smart property) (Wright and De Filippi 2015, 
Kosba et al 2016). Firstly proposed by Nakamoto (2008), recent research on blockchain has 
been largely in the areas of financial transactions and distributed ledger system (Pilkington 
2015). Blockchain technology is the technology architecture underpinning cryptocurrency 
such as Bitcoin. It uses a shared database that updates itself in real-time and can process and 
settle transactions in minutes using computer algorithms, with no need for third-party 
verification (such as banks).
However, its impact is far beyond financial transactions. Because blockchain allows secure 
exchange of data in a distributed manner, it is beginning to impact on the way organisations 
are governed, supply chain relationships are structured, data is shared, and transactions are 
conducted. Integrated with other technologies such as Internet-of-Things (IoT), block chain 
could, for instance, create a permanent, shareable, actionable record of every moment of a 
product’s trip through its supply chain, creating efficiencies throughout the global economy. 
Improved visibility and traceability also affords product traceability, authenticity and 
legitimacy – which is particularly critical to supply chains such as food and luxury products. 
In practice we start to observe a number of piloting schemes across various sectors trying to 
exploit the use of blockchain in supply chains. For example, in the shipping sector, South 
Korea’s Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) has announced on September 4, 2017 that it has 
successfully completed its first pilot voyage using blockchain technology. During the voyage 
from South Korea’s Busan Port to China’s Qingdao Port on a boxship laden with reefer 
containers from August 24 to September 4, 2017, blockchain technology was applied not only 

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to shipment booking, but also to cargo delivery. Additionally, HMM tested and reviewed the 
combining of blockchain technology with the Internet of Things (IoT) through real-time 
monitoring and managing of the reefer containers on the vessel (HMM, 2017). In the food 
sector, US hypermarket chain Walmart has said blockchain trials helped it reduce the time it 
took to trace the movement of mangoes to 2.2 seconds from about seven days currently. In the 
energy sector, a consortium of companies including BP and Royal Dutch Shell plans to 
develop a blockchain-based digital platform for energy commodities trading expect to 
function by end 2018 (reuters.com 2017). Blockchain has also been seen deployed in diamond 
sector to ensure the authenticity of the products (Amber 2017). 
Despite the aforementioned interests and efforts in industries in the exploitation of this 
emerging technology, our understanding of the implications of blockchain to supply chain is 
fairly limited. Therefore, our primary aim is to explore how this disruptive technology will 
change the practice of supply chain. Consequently, our research questions (RQs) are;
 RQ1: Why is blockchain technology important to logistics and supply chain sector? 
 RQ2: Where are disruptions mostly likely to occur?