Value proposition assessment of blockchain technology for luxury, food, and healthcare supply chains

Background: In relevant research, blockchain technology (BCT) is credited with great potential for supply chain management (SCM). However, even after more than 10 years of the technology's existence, it is barely used for any self-sustaining applications. This raises the question of why BC cannot prevail against its alternatives. With this paper we want to identify criteria by which the added value of BCT can be measured. Furthermore, we want to evaluate how well the different supply chains (SC) exploit the added values of BCT. Methods: For this, we identified real-world examples and case studies for luxury, food, and healthcare SCs. These examples are described in detail and then analyzed for their added value compared to possible alternatives. Results: The results show that in the clusters of food and healthcare SCs, no general added value of BC over current best-practice solutions could be verified. Luxury SCs manage valuable products that are typically traded in small quantities. It is within this cluster that the implementation of BC can be justified best. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study shows that the application of BCT is especially beneficial for goods with a high value and low trade volume. In addition, the interface between reality and the digital twin should be as secure as the database or BC solution itself. Furthermore, the demand for transparency and immutability of data should be more important than the need to protect sensitive data. Finally, SC participants, especially the end customer, must also be able to appreciate the advantages of BCT.