SNF: Foundation of distributed ledgers in supply chain management: Theory development, practical applicability and critical reflection
Type
fundamental research project
Start Date
2018
End Date
2021
Status
completed
Keywords
Design science Research
case study Research
distributed ledger Technology
blockchain Technology
autonomous decision making
supply chain management
Description
Die Distributed Ledger Technologie (DLT) und ihre bislang bekannteste Form, die Blockchain Technologie (BCT), wird weithin als bahnbrechende Innovation wahrgenommen und nach ersten Anwendungen im Finanzsektor (z.B. Kryptowährungen) auch im Supply Chain Management (SCM) diskutiert. Besonders im SCM werden enorme Potentiale erwartet. Bislang ist jedoch noch unerforscht, welchen Einfluss (theoretischer und praktischer Natur) die Technologie tatsächlich auf das SCM haben wird und in welchen Anwendungsgebieten die Technologie einen Beitrag leisten kann. Aufgrund der Neuartigkeit der Technologie ist bisher auch die Frage unbeantwortet, wie DLT in den Operations von Unternehmen genutzt werden kann (Technologieadaption).

Das übergeordnete Ziel dieses Forschungsprojektes ist es, die theoretischen Grundlagen für DLT im SCM zu legen. Diese dienen als Basis für weiterführende Forschungsvorhaben und die praktische Anwendung von BCT in Supply Chains. Im Detail werden (i) die grundlegenden Voraussetzungen der DLT untersucht, die im SCM einen Wertbeitrag liefern können. Des Weiteren wird im Forschungsprojekt (ii) die Anwendbarkeit der Technologie im SCM analysiert und dadurch zukünftige Anwendungsbereiche aufgedeckt. Ausserdem werden (iii) theoretische und praktische Änderungen, die durch den Einsatz der Technologie zu erwarten sind, analysiert. Einerseits werden erforderliche Anpassungen des forschungsmethodischen Vorgehens analysiert. Die Dynamik der Entwicklung von DLT erfordert eine Anpassung des Vorgehens. Andererseits werden auf praktischer Seite die benötigten Ressourcen für den Einsatz der Technologie sowie deren Implementierungsprozess erforscht.
Leader contributor(s)
Hofmann, Erik
Partner(s)
Jan Holmström, Aalto University, Finland
Dale S. Rogers, Arizona State University, USA
Funder(s)
Method(s)
Design science research
Case study research
Range
Institute/School
Range (De)
Institut/School
Principal
SNF
Division(s)
Eprints ID
247611

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  • Publication
    PharmaQuick: Implementation of a blockchain-based temperature monitoring system (Teaching Case)
    (The Case Centre, 2020-08)
    Hofmann, Erik
    ;
    Enthoven, Maximilian
    ;
    Fallegger, Sara
    After the revision of guidelines by the European Commission in March 2013 requiring continuous temperature monitoring of medicinal products during transport, the Swiss logistics service provider PharmaQuick faced the challenge of not only modifying their business practice to fulfill the guidelines, but also to simultaneously gain a competitive advantage with the implementation of superior technology. According to the new guidelines, the company would have to be able to provide evidence for complying with the allowed temperature ranges pre-defined by the manufacturers. Compliance for the transport of products that required low ambient temperatures usually remained unchecked, as clients of PharmaQuick refused to pay the fee for active temperature monitoring. This refusal was mostly communicated orally or unofficially, providing no hard evidence in case of a dispute. In the face of rising regulatory pressure, PharmaQuick implemented a short-term solution based on active temperature controlling and cellular data transmission with cooling trucks. However, this change multiplied the costs and, in the eyes of Dean Sprouts—business development manager at PharmaQuick, was not economically sustainable for the company. For this reason, Sprouts had to find a long-term solution that allows for compliance with the GDP’s requirements and improves transparency and traceability along the transportation supply chain at the same time. In particular, he had to assess whether blockchain technology within a cooperation with Modum constituted such a long-term solution. The presented case study is based on a fictitious company that represents a customer of the Swiss startup Modum. In this decision-based case, students are asked to put themselves in the role of the protagonist, Dean Sprout. They need to analyze the challenge faced and evaluate the solution pursued by the protagonist. The case takes place in the pharmaceutical sector in Switzerland in the year 2017. The key topics are supply chain management (SCM), external influence factors, data management, process optimization and blockchain technology (BCT).
    Type: case study
    Issue: CASE-Reference no. 620-0029-1
    URL: http://casecent.re/p/171009
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/111916
  • Publication
    modum.io (B): Bidding Farewell to Crypto
    (Harvard Business School, 2021-03)
    Huang, Laura
    ;
    Enthoven, Maximilian
    ;
    Murray, Alex
    ;
    Hofmann, Erik
    After a successful initial coin offering (ICO) in the fall of 2017, the Switzerland-based supply chain technology company modum.io began trading its MOD token on various exchanges. The financial resources generated from the token sale set up the modum.io team to focus on operations, launch the company’s product, increase revenue, onboard new customers, and hire new staff. In the course of the cryptocurrency bear market of 2018–2019, however, the value of the MOD token deteriorated to the point where it was delisted from major exchanges. Mainly caused by the lack of regulatory compliance of security tokens on the exchanges, these delistings partially killed the liquidity of the MOD token. In light of market and regulatory developments, and with external pressure increasing, modum.io scrambled to identify alternatives to solve its predicament. In 2019, cofounder Marc Degen and his partners decided to elaborate different options in order to secure the future of modum.io while simultaneously offering a satisfactory solution for all stakeholders. In their discussions, they saw three potential paths forward from which they must choose: (1) continue as is, (2) convert outstanding tokens into some form of company equity, or (3) liquidate the company and distribute the proceeds to the share- and tokenholders. Because this decision was strategically crucial for the future of modum.io, the board of directors did not want to rush to a conclusion; they preferred to thoroughly review the benefits and pitfalls of each option.
    Type: case study
    Issue: 421-068
    URL: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=59854
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/110614
  • Publication
    The Emergence of Blockchain Technology: Implications for Operations and Supply Chain Management
    (Suomen Tuotannonohjausyhdistys ry, 2021-02)
    Enthoven, Maximilian
    ;
    Khajavi, Siavash
    In this article, we review the possibilities arising from the emergence of blockchain technology on operations and supply chain management (OSCM). This is the third part in a series of articles investigating rising digital technologies and their impact to operations and supply chain management. A short history and an introduction to blockchain technology are provided followed by a review of the current and future applications where this technology can change manufacturing and operations management. Moreover, we discuss the obstacles faced by this technology and how those can be overcome.
    Type: newspaper article
    Journal: Stoori
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/110680
  • Publication
    Type: conference poster
    URL: https://cscmp.org/CSCMP/Educate/2018_Academic_Proceedings/CSCMP/Educate/2018_Academic_Proceedings.aspx?hkey=8224fe06-8f22-4be6-a79f-8bb2d4d3f2a9
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/100106
  • Publication
    Enhancing Transparency in the Supply Chain: An Information Processing Perspective
    (Academy of Management, 2020-08-11)
    Röck, Dominik
    ;
    Hofmann, Erik
    ;
    Rogers, Dale S.
    While nowadays’ need to enhance transparency in supply chains (TSC) seems undisputable, supply chain management (SCM) scholars and practitioners lack an operationalization of the phenomenon and a clear understanding of how to enhance TSC. This study aims to address this need by applying a multiple case study design with 24 awarded or industry-wide good practice solutions to disclose how focal companies can enhance TSC. Drawing on information processing theory (IPT), this study contributes to the understanding of the phenomenon by placing TSC in context and identifying 29 TSC determinants that have to be attained in order to enhance TSC. The study reveals that although the targeted effect of enhanced TSC is mainly beneficial for the focal company, it requires all relevant supply chain partners to enhance TSC. By presenting the TSC determinants that are required on an intra-firm and inter-organizational level to enhance TSC, we elaborate IPT in the context of TSC.
    Type: conference paper
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/111888
  • Publication
    Type: case study
    Issue: 421-069
    URL: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=59857
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/116800
  • Publication
    TradeIX: Blockchain-Enabled Trade Finance in Global Supply Chains (Teaching Case)
    (Ivey Publishing, 2020-08-11)
    Hofmann, Erik
    ;
    Enthoven, Maximilian
    ;
    Fallegger, Sara
    In accordance with the announcement of its new strategy, Warehousing & Co—one of the largest logistics companies worldwide—began an initiative through Robert Barnes — CEO of TradeIX — to optimize its working capital management in 2017. However, the potential for improvement in the realm of trade finance was heavily restricted by not only a complex network of suppliers but also by siloed inter-organizational data flows. For this reason, Global 3PL initiated a pilot project with TradeIX, a Dublin-based startup that offered a blockchain-based platform managing trade finance, especially receivables finance. Essentially, the platform solution, called Marco Polo platform, connected bank and insurance to a secure network, enabling full transparency during interim financing of accounts receivables. Despite the success of a trial run of using the Marco Polo platform, it had to be assessed on a technological and strategic level, whether this proved a long-term sustainable solution for full operation across Global 3PL's global trade finance system landscape. In this decision-oriented teaching case based on a real situation, students are asked to put themselves in the role of the protagonist, Robert Barnes. They need to analyze the challenge faced and evaluate the solution pursued by the protagonist. The teaching case takes place in the field of trade finance. The key topics are trade finance, working capital management, supply chain management (SCM), data management, process optimization and blockchain technology (BCT).
    Type: case study
    Issue: 9B20E016s
    URL: https://www.iveycases.com/ProductView.aspx?id=110865
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/111887
  • Publication
    Foundational premises and value drivers of blockchain-driven supply chains: the trade finance experience
    (Kogan Page, 2018-12-28)
    Hofmann, Erik
    ;
    Heines, Roger
    ;
    Omran, Yaghoob
    The recent hype about blockchain technology and its abilities has led to a reconsideration of existing structures in the field of finance. With a bigger focus on efficient transaction processing, interaction and automation, the underlying concept of a distributed ledger has also showed feasibility for a much broader field. For this reason, the objective of this article lies in a first evaluation of this technology for blockchain-driven supply chains by taking a closer look at potential use cases and existing applications, particularly supply chain operations and trade finance. By aligning all relevant data streams on a digital scale, it is possible not only to make trading processes significantly more functional, but also to improve regulatory control through elimination of redundant practices. A digital, autonomous, decentralized, and distributed network would be applicable to a countless number of services. The initial concept for trade finance provides here a foundation to close the gap between vague assumptions and practical contributions in supply chain management.
    Type: book section
    URL: https://www.koganpage.com/product/supply-chain-finance-9780749482404?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=2_%2317000%20Solus%203&utm_campaign=2_%2317000%20Solus%203%3A%20Supply%20Chain%20Management#region
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/99744
  • Publication
    Type: conference paper
    Journal: DSI 50th Decision Sciences Institute Annual Conference, New Orleans, USA, November 23-25, 2019
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/98012
  • Publication
    TradeIX: Blockchain-Enabled Trade Finance in Global Supply Chains (Teaching Note)
    (Ivey Cases, )
    Hofmann, Erik
    ;
    Enthoven, Maximilian
    ;
    Fallegger, Sara
    In accordance with the announcement of its new strategy, Global 3PL—one of the largest logistics companies worldwide—began an initiative through Robert Barnes — CEO of TradeIX — to optimize its working capital management in 2017. However, the potential for improvement in the realm of trade finance was heavily restricted by not only a complex network of suppliers but also by siloed inter-organizational data flows. For this reason, Global 3PL initiated a pilot project with TradeIX, a Dublin-based startup that offered a blockchain-based platform managing trade finance, especially receivables finance. Essentially, the platform solution, called Marco Polo platform, connected bank and insurance to a secure network, enabling full transparency during interim financing of accounts receivables. Despite the success of a trial run of using the Marco Polo platform, it had to be assessed on a technological and strategic level, whether this proved a long-term sustainable solution for full operation across Global 3PL's global trade finance system landscape. In this decision-oriented teaching case based on a real situation, students are asked to put themselves in the role of the protagonist, Robert Barnes. They need to analyze the challenge faced and evaluate the solution pursued by the protagonist. The teaching case takes place in the field of trade finance. The key topics are trade finance, working capital management, supply chain management (SCM), data management, process optimization and blockchain technology (BCT). This publication represents the corresponding teaching note of the case: "TradeIX: Blockchain-Enabled Trade Finance in Global Supply Chains"
    Type: case study
    Issue: 8B20E016w
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/116733