How Blockchain Technology can help Boost the Logistics Business?
All of us have heard about the term ‘Blockchain’ in one way or another, but far fewer people have an exhaustive understanding of how Blockchain works and what are the practical applications of this technology.
Being invented by Satoshi Nakamoto, Blockchain is defined as a distributed database technology that can help record transactions and store their data across various nodes, thereby making the data transparent and secure.
As well know, a peer-to-peer network is used for data sharing in the Blockchain that makes the data immutable. Each transaction right from the beginning of a supply chain to the finish gets recorded in the Blockchain ledger, irrespective of the number of steps involved in the supply chain.
All these benefits make Blockchain-based mobile apps a suitable match for various industries and have various applications. Talking about Blockchain in the logistics and supply chain industry, the number is expected to grow a $3.3 billion by 2023, setting up a new era for the industry.
In this blog post, we have discussed the applications of Blockchain in the logistics industry!
Importance of Logistics apps in enhancing Consumer Experience
As the end-users, during pandemics, we were accustomed to tapping a few buttons and have a wide range of goods and services conveniently available to us. From grocery shopping to food delivery-everything was available at our doorstep. And leading up to delivery, we can magically see the status of our orders in real-time.
This whole experience is not magic, it’s logistics. More often than not, logistics apps used by various people enable many magical experiences and play a key role in the consumer experience. One of the best instances of the logistics industry is Amazon. So much that we just don’t buy products at Amazon, we buy experiences!
Logistics is a multi-trillion USD industry and can be named as the backbone of every trade across the world. The logistics industry is pretty vast and managing the industry these days is extraordinarily complex as it is full of challenges and consists of hundreds of stages and a boatload of payments. What’s more in logistics is that several parties are involved in performing the task of transporting raw materials or products to consumers.
Living in the e-commerce economy, providing great customer experiences in the logistics industry is important, and witnessing the benefits offered by Blockchain, we can comfortably state that this technology is bound to bring great changes in the industry.
Integrating Blockchain in the Logistics Industry
As mentioned before, Blockchain technology in logistics provides the facility of tracking and recording all the transactions between various parties, providing a transparent and immutable supply chain. According to the World Economic Forum, Blockchain integration can help reduce the challenges in the supply and improve sales by almost up to 15 percent.
Apart from the above-mentioned advantage, Blockchain technology emerged as one of the leading ledgers for financial applications. Just as the emergence of the internet was a game-changer, Blockchain is also expected to bring a similarly significant impact. The most exciting part of using Blockchain is that the Blockchain development solutions are tailored to each organization and any business can use this technology as per its needs.
Many big industries such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are using Blockchain, and even offer Blockchain-based solutions by themselves. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the Blockchain in supply chain market is expected to grow from $145 million to $3.3 billion by 2023. The following section presents some real-life examples of Blockchain being used in the logistics industry.
Use-Cases of Blockchain in the Logistics Industry
Blockchain technology in the logistics industry offers transformative solutions. Firstly, it ensures transparent and secure tracking of goods from the point of origin to delivery, mitigating fraud and enhancing trust. Smart contracts automate agreements, speeding up processes like payments upon successful deliveries. Additionally, blockchain aids in verifying the authenticity of products, crucial in combating counterfeit goods. Integrating custom blockchain app development enables tailored solutions for logistics companies, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring data immutability, thereby reshaping the entire logistics landscape.
1. FedEx
FedEx, one of the largest shipping tycoons in India has developed a Blockchain-powered platform to solve customer disputes promptly and efficiently. The organization has joined the BiTA (Blockchain in Transport Alliance), which is a forum created for logistics organizations to discuss Blockchain shipping plans.
FedEx is planning to use Blockchain-based technology to track and store records which would further help them in strategic planning and analysis.
2. Walmart
A leading retail organization, Walmart has been working on integrating blockchain to ensure food safety, traceability and tracking. Walmart is testing its Blockchain-based solutions to track food items such as pork from China and mangoes from Mexico.
Walmart’s Blockchain-based systems use different sensors to record the temperature and other environmental factors to ensure the highest standards of food safety and condition.
3. ZIM
ZIM is one of the top 20 ocean carriers that has recently conducted a test run of their Blockchain project which majorly aimed at digitizing the bills of the landing. In the ocean shipping project, the bill of landing is an important document that consists of all the crucial information such as shipment details, destination, and handling guidelines.
During the trial, ZIM and other stakeholders in the supply chain successfully transferred and received the electronic documents through Blockchain technology.
4. Shipchain
Shipchain is an organization that was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Shipchain started working on a Blockchain development platform that would help monitor the end-to-end shipping process. The shipchain platform sends updated information regarding the location of the consignment to all the stakeholders involved.
The track and trace platform also helps in improving the provenance and supply chain efficiency. These platforms use smart contracts and various other encrypted public ledgers to track the container’s status and estimated arrival time.
Conclusion
Blockchain is going to be an absolute game-changing technology in the upcoming years. The technology promises to improve the end-to-end business processes in the logistics sector. Various logistics organizations are working towards deploying Blockchain systems to systematize administrative doings and boost transparency.
Although the technology seems quite promising, the application is not as easy as it may seem. The process of implementation isn’t noticed overnight, but just as the internet emerged as one of the great revolutions, Blockchain is also expected to do the same.
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