Supply chain information flow - an overview of using blockchain technology to improve supply chain performance

This book explores how data and information can be used in supply chains, highlighting their crucial role in enhancing efficiency and transparency. It demonstrates that data is a vital component for supporting supply chain management, from tracking resources and inventory to monitoring supplier performance and controlling logistical flow. The book draws its inspiration from real-world problems related to a lack of transparency in manufacturing processes, which have become increasingly apparent in recent years. These problems include the discovery of a factory producing a popular coffee beverage using materials unfit for human consumption, and another factory using building materials in food production. Furthermore, a World Health Organization report indicated that one in ten medical products in developing countries is substandard or counterfeit, according to a press release published in November 2017. The book then examines the role of blockchain technology in addressing these challenges. It explains that blockchain provides an additional layer of transparency and trust in supply chains by recording data immutably, ensuring that every step in the production and distribution process is accurately and reliably documented.