Abstract: Connecting and exchanging information across organizations becomes increasingly important as supply chains become more complex and expectations with regard to sustainability, transparency and resilience increase. At the same time, organizations are adamant about protecting any competitive advantage which derives from private information about, for example, supplier networks, available inventory or production processes. Technology aimed at enabling information exchange within and across supply chains must therefore ensure high degrees of privacy and control over private information. In light of this, we specify the DibiChain protocol for the discovery and exchange of supply chain information. The protocol prioritizes data minimization in shared data stores, avoidance of persistent user identifiers and anonymous communication with minimal intermediation. We further outline how the DibiChain protocol can serve as the foundation for privacy-preserving supply chain applications, including an anonymous discovery service for GS1 EPCIS event data.

Keywords: Privacy; Anonymity; Supply chain; Distributed ledger technology; Blockchain

Publication status: Working paper

Suggested citation: Strehle, E. & Maurer, M. (2021). The DibiChain protocol: Privacy-preserving discovery and exchange of supply chain information. BRL Working Paper No. 18.

Abstract: Public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum continue to have an exaggerated influence on the overall perception of blockchain technology. As a consequence, trustlessness is often presented as the central characteristic of blockchain: It is claimed that blockchain designers must assume that users do not trust each other and that there is no trusted third party. While this is arguably true for public blockchains, it is not a helpful perspective for private blockchains. Private blockchains can be highly efficient and effective when they act as a team player, operating alongside legal contracts, trust relationships, regulatory frameworks and trusted third parties.

Keywords: Blockchain; Enterprise Architecture

Publication status: Working paper

Suggested citation: Strehle, E. (2020). Public Versus Private Blockchains. BRL Working Paper No. 14.

Abstract: The potential of blockchain for the supply chain sector is widely acknowledged, but it is not always clear how this potential can be realized in specific use cases. Supply chain blockchains must fit into the wider context of complex business relationships, existing technical systems, and ever-changing requirements. Consequently, their design requires a holistic approach which appreciates the complex interplay between the technology and its context. This paper presents a corresponding framework for analyzing and designing blockchain systems in the supply chain sector. It outlines the benefits of blockchain technology, provides guidance on deriving requirements from the use case, and distills critical implementation features.

Keywords: Blockchain, Supply Chain

Publication status: Working paper