What is the point of blockchain app for so called "supply chains"

[piotrgal]

Hello,

Could someone pls explain some specific details - what I mean is that in general I understand the idea behind, but I'm missing what is the actual advantage over the "classic" systems?

I will point out my doubts:

1. The general feature always mentioned is ensuring that nobody "manipulates" the history of the shipping - however it's just an entry in the blockchain - it only ensures that the specific "id" is not faked - how that suppose to ensure the real goods, while the "id" is just a sticker or print or some box or whatever kind of container?

2. How the blockchain solution is better from just "any" (well designed) computer system - I wan't to emphasize the words "well designed", so the system is distributed over different parties (data is replicated between different parties having no common business or even to some "escrow" company) and everything is well secured with proper roles for users, change history logging, good authentication protocols, data encryption, cryptographic signatures, etc...

What is your opinion guys?

Best regards,
Piotr

[dothebeats]

Hello,

Could someone pls explain some specific details - what I mean is that in general I understand the idea behind, but I'm missing what is the actual advantage over the "classic" systems?

I will point out my doubts:

1. The general feature always mentioned is ensuring that nobody "manipulates" the history of the shipping - however it's just an entry in the blockchain - it only ensures that the specific "id" is not faked - how that suppose to ensure the real goods, while the "id" is just a sticker or print or some box or whatever kind of container?

Entries in the blockchain aren't verified by a single-pass verification system, so there are multitude of tests a single entry has to pass before it gets accepted in the chain. Surely, if the item inside the container is counterfeit and does not meet the standards imposed by the system, and does not match the qualifications and specifications of its predecessor, it would simply be rejected, and therefore be not included in the chain.

2. How the blockchain solution is better from just "any" (well designed) computer system - I wan't to emphasize the words "well designed", so the system is distributed over different parties (data is replicated between different parties having no common business or even to some "escrow" company) and everything is well secured with proper roles for users, change history logging, good authentication protocols, data encryption, cryptographic signatures, etc...

Blockchain is better since the data is easily verifiable from multiple sources and cannot easily be tampered with. Should the attackers successfully rewrote the contents of the database, something will happen on the chain causing the people and the data managers to prevent further attacks and preserve the integrity of the data. Sure, these things are already done by the most advanced computer systems, but then again they are too secured from the inside that once an attack vector is exploited by the attackers, they still aren't sure that someone is already stealing/tampering their data due to how their systems work.

This is how I view things so feel free to correct me to those with an extensive knowledge of how computer systems work.

[eaLiTy]

 Blockchain is made easy with the help of omini basis it is used to run businesses and    professionals  that is large scale and small to feature blockchain application without much cost or challenges ..The ominibasis helps transparency and security and also increases speed omini payment helps for easy payment blockchain can transfer supply chains and it can eliminate costly delays .

[elda34b]

1. The general feature always mentioned is ensuring that nobody "manipulates" the history of the shipping - however it's just an entry in the blockchain - it only ensures that the specific "id" is not faked - how that suppose to ensure the real goods, while the "id" is just a sticker or print or some box or whatever kind of container?

The idea is not to ensure that the good that you send/receive is real, it's to ensure that the distribution history / shipping history is not manipulated. To ensure the sender send the true goods, it's the job of the distributor/shipping carriers. Blockchain or regular database won't be able to help this, it's a manual work. Unless you want to build a real-time CCTV monitoring for each shipping company for each goods provided.

[franky1]

concerning the doubt of private handling of the real goods, in regards to how to ensure a barcode on a box of banana's can be messed with in the physical world while a blockchain is just data.

the shipping companies would only get paid if they actually deliver the goods requested. and as such if there was something not quite right about the physical box of banana's that does not match the blockchain data. then the nxt tx that shows the pass over from one depot to the next depot would take the banana's out of the blockchain and treat them as bad batch or stolen goods or defective product.

so keeping a precise inventory of a freight container is not just about data on a blockchain. but also the depots scanning barcodes and quality assurance checking the goods on the container. thus preserving the data represents the real bananas

so for the end destination retailer that is paying for the goods. if he does not get them. he does not pay shipping. so basically the shipping companies would need to stay honourable and follow the rules, else they wont get paid.

thats the whole symbiotic relationship of consensus and blockchain. everyone agree's and checks else if something goes wrong the data is rejected. so its in everyones benefit to play by the rules rather than try messing with your own data thinking they can game the system

its like mining. there is no point a miner(shipping)messing with data of a block or messing with an asset(banana). if the end recipient(retailer) does not accept what is in the block follows the rules. as they can just reject the block. and as such those collating the data and asset(shipping) wont get the reward(payment). thus no point the miner collating data(shipping) mssing with data or assets

...
as for why blockchain.
world wide shipping involves many companies. and this makes it expensive to have a central database with multiple access points where any employee from any company could edit the data. so auditors, security guards, hr departments build up alot of pen-pushing admin staff.. by having it as blockchain you dont need all th staff to monitor access to the data, as the data is self securing by its distributed and community auditing methods of consensus. thus if some pineapple company wanted to mess with banana stocks, they cant. even a banana company cant mess with banana stocks as the shipping and retail community will spot the difference.

..
as for why supply chains
this is to ensure everyone along the line is identified and paid, that way a company getting paid from a retailer cant syphon off the funds and not pay the farmer because its all done in one world wide system where the farmer would get paid and there is nothing a CEO can do you try to put more then he deserves into his own pocket.
its not just about letting a retail customer knowing about where their banana came from. its about the retailer knowing farmers are treated fairly, tax offices knowing the CEO of companies are not hiding profits. customs/borders knowing what tarrifs to charge. farmers proving they sent goods. shipping companies witnessing and signing goods are on route. helping to plan which container gets to go on which cargo ship efficiently. the food standard agency being about to track source if a contaminant/outbreak occured. and many many other things which are normally hand done by admin staff.

[kelz1]

My guess is the immutable nature of blockchain technology. No one can manipulate the data and it is publicly available and free. How much is a secure hosted database system compared to a blockchain platform?