Blockchain-Based Traceability Architecture for Mapping Object-Related Supply Chain Events

【Author】 Dietrich, Fabian; Louw, Louis; Palm, Daniel

【Source】SENSORS

【影响因子】3.847

【Abstract】Supply chains have evolved into dynamic, interconnected supply networks, which increases the complexity of achieving end-to-end traceability of object flows and their experienced events. With its capability of ensuring a secure, transparent, and immutable environment without relying on a trusted third party, the emerging blockchain technology shows strong potential to enable end-to-end traceability in such complex multitiered supply networks. This paper aims to overcome the limitations of existing blockchain-based traceability architectures regarding their object-related event mapping ability, which involves mapping the creation and deletion of objects, their aggregation and disaggregation, transformation, and transaction, in one holistic architecture. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel 'blueprint-based' token concept, which allows clients to group tokens into different types, where tokens of the same type are non-fungible. Furthermore, blueprints can include minting conditions, which, for example, are necessary when mapping assembly processes. In addition, the token concept contains logic for reflecting all conducted object-related events in an integrated token history. Finally, for validation purposes, this article implements the architecture's components in code and proves its applicability based on the Ethereum blockchain. As a result, the proposed blockchain-based traceability architecture covers all object-related supply chain events and proves its general-purpose end-to-end traceability capabilities of object flows.

【Keywords】blockchain; tokenisation; object traceability; EPCIS events

【发表时间】2023 FEB

【收录时间】2023-03-09

【文献类型】实验仿真

【主题类别】

区块链应用-实体经济-供应链