Guidance: Implementing a private and custom blockchain solution for supply chain

[N0One]

I am meeting with a microchip manufacturer in three weeks to explore the idea of using blockchain as a solution to authenticate and track shipment of microchips from their manufacturing in Asia to customers across the globe.

Obviously, they could go commercial and buy in to any of the major startups working on this. After some discussion, because of excessive security concerns, they prefer to have someone they trust build a custom solution. Many of the projects have their work open sourced in github and perhaps we could fork or we can grow from the ground up.

There are some startups working hard on this. for example: http://www.blockverify.io/
I know that IBM is doing a ton on this specifically. https://www.ibm.com/blogs/blockchain/category/blockchain-supply-chain/ & https://www.ibm.com/blockchain/supply-chain/
There are a number of white paper and knowledgable debates. The questions is to find good working examples to leverage from: http://www.logisticsbureau.com/how-blockchain-can-transform-the-supply-chain/

Has anyone here actually build a custom blockchain solution who would be down to talk it through? Obviously my own education on this is just starting. We build a fair bit of custom software for global brands, but have not worked on any blockchain implementation.

[Colorblind]

Sorry for an offtopic question, but I can't help myself but ask why would big established business that is no stranger to digital tech want to use blockchain where it can use SQL (or other DB) for same purpose (tracking).

It's not like I want to undermine blockchain tech in any way, just curious what real benefits it can afford in the tracking/logistics field, where lots of standard M2M solutions are already implemented and used. What is the problem blockchain can solve better then centralized database?

[N0One]

That is the fundamental question I have been trying to unravel Colorblind. I don't consider it off topic and thanks for asking. Kinda hoping other people pitch in to help me figure this out.

The answer I am finding so far has to do with when things change hands. Most companies maintain separate databases / ledgers and each time an item changes hands, the process of authentication and establish provenance starts anew. For a supply chain which apparently has had issues with counterfeit, I'm interested to see if blockchain can secure provenance.

I like to think their primary advantage comes in building trust or removing the need for it within a multi-touch point supply chain. Currently most businesses have their own versions of ledgers in their own db’s, and when transactions occur, a bunch of work has to happen on both sides before everybody agrees to transact - contrast that with blockchain where they both have an identical copy of the same immutable ledger, and you see that trust is not so much of an issue anymore.

Of course, if you get everyone in the supply chain to agree to share in a tracking solution provider (SAP, Oracle, IMB etc all have solutions), then the database seems to function in a similar manner, but then you are basically giving what may be important or classified information over to a 3rd party vendor.

A buddy a work sent me this today and these guys do a nice job of explaining the basics: http://hyperledger-fabric.readthedocs.io/en/release/blockchain.html#why-is-a-blockchain-useful

[Anti-Cen]

Sorry for an offtopic question, but I can't help myself but ask why would big established business that is no stranger to digital tech want to use blockchain where it can use SQL (or other DB) for same purpose (tracking).

You beat me to it but it's the latest buzz word just like "On-Block" was but that's been replaced with "Off-Block" these days
but i can assure you all my apps are "User Friendly" and soon everyone of them will contain "A.I" even if i really understand
naff all about programming it.

[wodasawoku]

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