Blockchain within Logistics: a SWOT analysis

Abstract

The industry 4.0 is already developed in many sectors and business. In recent years, some technologies of this trend have appeared in our society providing new business models and improving the effectiveness and efficiency for processes. One of these technologies is Blockchain, a distributed database of records among participants. It is believed that this technology could revolutionize business and redefine logistics. However, Blockchain is an emerging technology and it is still at an early state of development. The objetive of this Master Dissertation is to understand what Blockchain is and to measure the impact of this technology in logistics, analyzing the possible limitations and applications and considering professional judgement. Moreover, this work provide a framework to identify the Blockchain opportunities in the logistics industry and helping managers to know where they can implement it in their processes. The methodology of this work involved three stages: (1) analysis of the literature review to establish the technology basis and the current applications in logistics; (2) The implementation of a SWOT analysis according to recent studies; (3) testing the SWOT analysis using an online interview aimed at experienced business in logistics and cibersecurity. Finally it will be explained the main result of this work. Keywords: Industry 4.0, Blockchain, Logistics, Supply Chain, SWOT analysis