Blockchain Provenance System for Ethical Supply Chain Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blockchain-based inventory tracking systems lack the capability to dynamically track and update ethical issues associated with the supply chain of products in real-time, leading to consumer frustration and increased network congestion due to the need for multiple internet queries, which is inefficient and burdensome on network infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain provenance system that generates a product ethicality data report, accessible via QR codes or barcodes, allowing for easy filtering based on consumer preferences and enabling the addition or removal of ethical concerns through an API, thereby consolidating a product's ethical scope into a single, easily retrievable data report.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional blockchain-based inventory tracking systems are used to track product information, then product provenance can be recorded, but the system lacks the capability to dynamically track and update ethical issues in real-time, requiring multiple internet queries that cause network congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments ethical issue tracking into discrete, standardized parameters (e.g., labor conditions, environmental impact, animal welfare) that can be independently updated and queried. Each ethical parameter is treated as a separate data element that can be dynamically added or removed from the blockchain ledger based on consumer preferences, eliminating the need for multiple sequential queries about different ethical aspects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining a comprehensive set of ethical parameters and their corresponding data structures in advance. When a product is tracked, all relevant ethical parameters are prepared and structured for potential querying, allowing consumers to retrieve specific ethical information in a single query rather than making multiple requests for different ethical aspects.
2Loss of information
If multiple internet queries are made to retrieve ethical information, then comprehensive ethical data can be obtained, but network power consumption increases and consumer experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal ethical parameters framework that serves multiple functions: it standardizes ethical data collection across different products, enables single-query retrieval of comprehensive ethical information, and allows dynamic customization based on consumer preferences. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for multiple specialized queries while maintaining complete ethical information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a standardized copy/template structure for ethical parameters that can be replicated across different products and industries. This template includes predefined ethical categories (labor, environment, animal welfare) with standardized data fields, allowing comprehensive ethical information to be retrieved through a single query using this universal structure rather than requiring multiple product-specific queries.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ethical parameters are dynamically added or removed based on consumer preferences, then system adaptability improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic ethical parameter tracking where the set of active ethical parameters can be adjusted in real-time based on consumer preferences and emerging ethical concerns. New ethical parameters can be added to the blockchain ledger or existing ones removed without requiring system redesign, allowing the system to adapt to changing consumer values while maintaining a manageable structure through standardized parameter definitions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for using a blockchain provenance system to determine and/or track the qualitative issues associated with the supply chain state of one or more products, including obtaining a product identifier and a first set of parameters associated with the product identifier, each parameter indicative of a supply chain state of a product corresponding to the product identifier; determining, in view of the set of parameters, a first set of qualitative issues associated with the supply chain state of the product; and updating a ledger of a blockchain system to indicate an association between the product identifier and the first set of qualitative issues associated with the supply chain state of the product.