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Blockchain in Logistics and Supply Chain: Trick or Treat?

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📜 Abstract

The ever-increasing complexity in logistics and supply chain management affects the environment and business costs. Information technology is increasingly applied to address transparency, flexibility, and efficiency requirements. Blockchain, a distributed ledger technology underlying cryptocurrencies, emerges as such information technology with potential wide-ranging implications for logistics and supply chain management. This paper reviews literature on blockchain in logistics and supply chain management. It provides insights into characteristics, challenges, and potential threats to investigate whether blockchain is a ‘trick’ or a ‘treat’ for logistics and supply chain management.

✨ Summary

The paper “Blockchain in Logistics and Supply Chain: Trick or Treat?” by Sailer, Adam, and le May explores the potential implications of blockchain technology in the fields of logistics and supply chain management. The authors analyze the increasing complexity in these domains and examine whether blockchain can effectively address issues of transparency, flexibility, and efficiency. They highlight the characteristics, challenges, and risks associated with adopting blockchain technology, aiming to determine if it represents a genuine advantage (a ‘treat’) or more of a hype (a ‘trick’).

The paper has been cited by various works in both logistics and supply chain management domains, reflecting its influence in stimulating further research on how blockchain can transform these industries. A few notable references include:

  1. Petersen, M., Hackius, N., & von See, B. (2019). Mapping the sea-lane: Maritime blockchain adoption in the logistics sector. Journal of Business Logistics. Link
  2. Kamble, S. S., Gunasekaran, A., & Sharma, R. (2020). Modelling the blockchain enabled traceability in agriculture supply chain. International Journal of Information Management. Link
  3. Queiroz, M. M., & Wamba, S. F. (2019). Blockchain adoption challenges in supply chain: An empirical investigation of the main drivers in India. International Journal of Information Management. Link

The paper’s analysis of blockchain’s role in logistics and supply chain management has implications for understanding the broader potential and limitations of digital transformations driven by emerging technologies. It serves as a foundational reference for scholars evaluating the readiness and impact of adopting decentralized systems in complex logistical networks.