In Conversation with Hope Liu (Eximchain), Gil Perez (SAP) and Gert Sylvest (Tradeshift) | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The panel discusses the current state and challenges of implementing blockchain technology in supply chain management.

Key Insights

• 🧑‍✈️ Moving from blockchain pilots to actual implementation in supply chain networks requires building an ecosystem and collaboration among competitors.
• 🥺 Blockchain technology can incentivize companies to share data and digitize workflows, leading to more efficient supply chain management.
• 🔐 Scalability, security, and usability are key challenges in implementing blockchain in the supply chain industry.
• ❓ Blockchain can improve transparency, traceability, and trust in areas such as pharmaceuticals and product tracking.
• 🧑‍🏭 The quality of data and serialization are crucial factors for successful blockchain implementation in supply chains.
• ⛓️ Blockchain can potentially revolutionize trade financing, insurance, and financial transactions in the supply chain industry.
• 👶 The timeline for achieving complete transparency and traceability in supply chains varies depending on industry regulations and willingness to adopt new technologies.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What are the challenges of implementing blockchain in enterprise supply chain networks?

One of the main challenges is building an ecosystem and network where competitors and stakeholders need to agree on common collaboration standards. Regulatory compliance, industry standards, and scalability are also concerns.

Q: How can blockchain technology help with tracking and tracing products in the pharmaceutical industry?

Blockchain can provide a secure and transparent way to track pharmaceutical products, ensuring their authenticity and expiration dates. It can also facilitate the management of returns and help with compliance to regulations.

Q: What is the unique feature of blockchain technology in supply chain management?

The decentralization and distributed architecture of blockchain allow for the sharing of information and value among multiple participants. It also ensures immutability and auditability of data, improving transparency and trust.

Q: How can blockchain address the problem of information asymmetry in supply chain transactions?

Blockchain enables the proof of existence functionality, allowing participants to securely and immutably store data records without revealing confidential business information. This can help in proving good records and building trust between trading partners.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Gil states that blockchain implementation in the enterprise is moving from large pilot phases to actual implementation, but building an ecosystem and network is challenging.

• Garret emphasizes the need to incentivize companies to share data and digitize workflows in the supply chain industry, and sees blockchain as a technology that can facilitate the creation of ecosystems.

• Hope explains that while blockchain implementation in supply chain is still in the early stages, progress has been made in terms of scalability, security, and usability. However, there are still protocol and application level issues to address.