Blockchain in the supply chain: A cross-case analysis based on 21 case studies

This paper contains a cross-case analysis of 21 feasibility studies on the
application of blockchain in 16 companies, performed at two Universities of
Applied Sciences as a part of the research SIA-Raak project ‘From hype to
reality’ between 2018 and 2020 and the affiliated BlockStart project. The
paper analyses the effect of blockchain on the KPIs of the companies, by
inventorying and classifying the KPIs and connecting them with the logistics
processes. The research findings show that the main benefits of blockchain
for these companies are transparency and traceability, especially in food
chain companies. The advice for these companies is to invest in blockchain.
Reasons for companies why they do not invest in blockchain are related to
preferences for proven technologies. In these situations, it shows that a better
business case can be exploited, or companies already trust each other and do
not feel the need to secure trust even more. This cross-case analysis is a first
attempt to understand the main drivers for blockchain implementation at
companies. For future analysis on blockchain feasibility studies, we advise to
use a more standardized set of KPIs and the application of a methodology
developed during this project to connect the use of blockchain to the
companies’ strategies.