Blockchain and sustainable supply chain management in developing countries

Theoretical, empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests that there are more violations of sustainability principles in supply chains in developing countries than in developed countries. Recent research has demonstrated that blockchain can play an important role in promoting supply chain sustainability. In this paper we argue that blockchain’s characteristics are especially important for enforcing sustainability standards in developing countries. We analyze multiple case studies of blockchain projects implemented in supply chains in developing countries to assess product quality, environmental accounting and social impact measurement. We have developed seven propositions, which describe how blockchain can help address a number of challenges various stakeholders face in promoting sustainable supply chains in developing countries. The challenges that the propositions deal with include those associated with an unfavorable institutional environment, high costs, technological limitations, unequal power distribution among supply chain partners and porosity and opacity of value delivery networks.     

Blockchain in the operations and supply chain management: Benefits,challenges and future research opportunities

Blockchain technologies have captured the imagination of scholars, managers, and practitioners around the world. It is widely accepted by these actors that blockchain is not a buzzword, but a highly disruptive technology that is already remodeling the organizations and their supply chain business models. Despite the meaningful advance in the last years, blockchain applications regarding the operations and supply chain management (OSCM) are still in their infancy. Little is known about the role of blockchain in terms of operations traceability, as well in areas such as e-commerce, agriculture, public services, etc. Therefore, this Special Issue seeks to extend our understanding of blockchain applications in OSCM and how firms create and capture business value with blockchain. To this effect, this Special Issue will provide a well-articulated and in-depth discussion of the role of blockchain in creating value in the domain of OSCM. Specifically, it is expected that more light is shed on how blockchain integrates with and impacts new business models, transforms relationships, and improves performance and competitive advantage in OSCM. Also, the evolution of blockchain was reviewed in order to provide a strong background to the readers. The literature review was performed taking into account a bibliometric perspective of blockchain-related publications. The review supports the importance of this Special Issue by highlighting the urgent needs of this topic in this reputable journal. Finally, we provide future research directions and a guide for the papers presented in this Special Issue.     

大数据背景下科学元数据的重要问题研究

科学元数据是加强科学数据管理和共享服务的重要手段之一。数据密集型的科研范式和大数据技术的广泛应用突显了科学数据的重要作用,也对科学元数据的内容、形式和功能等方面提出了新的要求和挑战。本文在对科学元数据的发展现状进行分析的基础上,梳理了科学元数据的相关定义和功能要求,进而从可追溯性、可关联性和互操作性三个方面阐述了大数据背景下的新要求,最后讨论了相关技术及其发展趋势。     

需求追踪性综述

需求追踪性在系统开发的整个生命周期中具有非常重要的作用,它可以有效提高软件产品的质量并降低软件维护成本。在查阅了国内外大量需求工程相关文献的基础之上,对需求追踪研究的方法进行了较系统地归纳,并着重提出了需求追踪有待深入研究和解决的问题。     

农畜产品信息追溯系统面向3G的扩展与设计

本文针对原有农畜产品信息追溯系统中存在的不足,抓住3G技术普及带来的机遇,基于智能手机Android平台对江西省某农业产业化龙头企业的农畜产品信息追溯系统进行了3G功能扩展的有益尝试,对系统的3G智能终端功能、SQLite轻型数据库和追溯编码进行了扩展设计。     

利用区块链提高产品生态设计的透明度和可追溯性

透明度和可追溯性是产品生态设计的关键。承诺—信任理论为理解生态设计透明度的有关实践内容提供了重要途径。区块链技术通过促进利益相关者之间的信任和承诺为产品生态设计做出贡献。为了实现产品生态设计的完全可追溯,本文提出了一个集成区块链特征及其生态系统的架构。在该架构中,区块链从以下五个方面促进生态设计的透明度：材料验证、合规审计、生命周期分析(LCA)、碳排放和回收利用。本文通过耐克案例研究,阐述了区块链集成架构如何促进信任和承诺。本文建立了独立的问责流程,为企业提高产品生态设计的透明度提供了有价值的见解。     

民用客机需求工程与过程初探

从理想环境下的需求工程出发,以需求的变更控制、可追踪性、编写能力和语言、属性等几个方面着重论述了民用客机需求的工程化过程和方法。提出了民用客机需求工程的一些广泛被使用的技术,探讨了可追踪性的建立和意义,并建议使用需求工程来高效低成本地生产飞机产品。     

两个群签名方案的不可追踪性（英文）

群签名允许每个成员代表整个群体作出签名,它是构造电子现金、电子拍卖、电子选举方案 的基本工具. 本文通过极其简单的攻击方法证明Zhang et al.在2003年和 Kim et al.在1996年提出的两个群签名方案是不可追踪的。与Wang et al.提供的攻击方法相比,本文所发展的技巧十分新奇有趣。     

Boundary conditions for traceability in food supply chains using blockchain technology

Traceability of ingredients in food supply chains has become paramount in a world in which markets become global, heterogeneous, and complex and in which consumers expect a high level of quality. The food supply chain consists of many organizations having different interests and are often reluctant to share traceability information with each other. Blockchain has been advocated for improving traceability by providing trust. Yet, practice proved to be more stubborn. The goal of this paper is to identify boundary conditions for sharing assurance information to improve traceability. Four cases in the food supply chain have been investigated using a template analysis of 16 interviews. Eighteen boundary conditions categorized in business, regulation, quality and traceability categories have been identified. Some boundary conditions were found in all supply chains, whereas others were found to be supply chain specific. Standardization of traceability processes and interfaces, having a joint platform and independent governance were found to be key boundary conditions before blockchain can be used. Our findings imply that supply chain systems have first to be modified and organizational measures need to be taken to fulfill the boundary conditions, before blockchain can be used successfully.     

Modeling the blockchain enabled traceability in agriculture supply chain

Blockchain Technology (BT) has led to a disruption in the supply chain by removing the trust related issues. Studies are being conducted worldwide to leverage the benefits provided by BT in improving the performance of the supply chains. The literature reveals BT to offer various benefits leading to improvements in the sustainable performance of the agriculture supply chains (ASC). It is expected that BT will bring a paradigm shift in the way the transactions are carried in the ASC by reducing the high number of intermediaries, delayed payments and high transaction lead times. India, a developing economy, caters to the food security needs of an ever-growing population and faces many challenges affecting ASC sustainability. It is therefore essential to adopt BT in the ASC to leverage the various benefits. In this study, we identify and establish the relationships between the enablers of BT adoption in ASC. Thirteen enablers were identified from the literature and validated by the experts before applying a combined Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology to envision the complex causal relationships between the identified BT enablers. The findings from the study suggest that, among the identified enablers, traceability was the most significant reason for BT implementation in ASC followed by auditability, immutability, and provenance. The findings of the study will help the practitioners to design the strategies for BT implementation in agriculture, creating a real-time data-driven ASC. The results will also help the policymakers in developing policies for faster implementation of BT ensuring food safety and sustainable ASCs.