Question

What could be the human intervention on the blockchain industry and what should be improved? What must society do to prepare ?

Answer 1

Blockchain technologies have the potential to radically change the face of manufacturing, according to Syncron.

Blockchain, most commonly associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, is a digital ledger technology which can be used to store and record transactions.

As records along the chain are stored and distributed across nodes in the network, it is very difficult to falsify records, making the blockchain a more secure and transparent way to record transactions and service records. This, in turn, gives blockchain applications outside of cryptocurrency exchanges.

The enterprise is exploring ways to utilize blockchain technologies in everything from finance to manufacturing.

Manufacturers’ supply chains are sophisticated, complex organizations with a number of nuances that can make transparency and accountability challenging — especially when it comes to the logistics of building and shipping new equipment and service parts,” Brooks said. “This is particularly true as manufacturers shift from a transactional, break-fix model of after sale service — where a service part is replaced after it has already failed — to a subscription-based model that focuses on maximizing product uptime.”

“In this case, manufacturers leverage IoT and predictive analytics in their service parts supply chain to proactively repair equipment before it ever breaks down,” the executive added. “Blockchain can provide an increased level of visibility into this process, as it would allow an entire global service supply chain to see when and where parts are moving to ensure the repair is made just in time.”

As data held within a blockchain is decentralized and shared across nodes, the technology can be used to create and maintain a shared and continually-reconciled database.

Whether an enterprise or SMB, companies can use this to increase transparency, recognize issues within a supply chain, and streamline industrial processes.

As an example, an automaker which releases a vehicle containing faulty parts — resulting in costly recalls and repairs — can use the blockchain to trace the supplier of the faulty parts more efficiently, containing the issue and reducing time and labor costs.

“With a blockchain solution, manufacturers now have a living dossier of activity logs and more so they can keep tabs on the flow of goods between companies,” Brooks said. “This provides an extra level of transparency and control — and will enable large manufacturers to compete and win against the competition.”

When Chipotle had an E. coli outbreak in 2015, the food chain had serious trouble tracing the source of the bacteria through suppliers. As finding the source was incredibly difficult, Chipotle was unable to immediately stop the spread of contamination.

According to Brooks, blockchain could hold the key for similar issues to be resolved and eradicated quickly.

Blockchain solutions are not only limited to the exchange of cryptocurrencies. There are numerous benefits that this technology can present to businesses in many different industries, through its distributed and decentralized nature:

#1 Greater Transparency

Blockchain’s greatest characteristic stems from the fact that its transaction ledger for public addresses is open to viewing. In financial systems and businesses, this adds an unprecedented layer of accountability, holding each sector of the business responsible to act with integrity towards the company’s growth, its community and customers.

#2 Increased Efficiency

Due to its decentralized nature, Blockchain removes the need for middlemen in many processes for fields such as payments and real estate. In comparison to traditional financial services, blockchain facilitates faster transactions by allowing P2P cross-border transfers with a digital currency. Property management processes are made more efficient with a unified system of ownership records, and smart contracts that would automate tenant-landlord agreements.

#3 Better Security

Blockchain is far more secure than other record keeping systems because each new transaction is encrypted and linked to the previous transaction. Blockchain, as the name suggests, is formed by a network of computers coming together to confirm a ‘block’, this block is then added to a ledger, which forms a ‘chain’. Blockchain is formed by a complicated string of mathematical numbers and is impossible to be altered once formed. This immutable and incorruptible nature of blockchain makes it safe from falsified information and hacks. It’s decentralized nature also gives it a unique quality of being ‘trustless’ – meaning that parties do not need trust to transact safely.

#4. Improved Traceability

With the blockchain ledger, each time an exchange of goods is recorded on a Blockchain, an audit trail is present to trace where the goods came from. This can not only help improve security and prevent fraud in exchange-related businesses, but it can also help verify the authenticity of the traded assets. In industries such as medicine, it can be used to track the supply chain from manufacturer to distributer, or in the art industry to provide an irrefutable proof of ownership.