Blockchain for Supply Chain Logistics

Inspiration

What inspired me in the building of this project was my interest in the Business pillar as well as my personal interest in the concept of supply chain optimization. I researched into supply chain optimization and blockchain following the releasing of the prompts, causing me to develop an interest in pursuing a project in it.

What it does

My project is a prototype meant to showcase the capabilities of blockchain in the logistics industry. It follows the scheme of a truck going to six different locations, starting at a depot. At each location, the truck sends data which is minted into an NFT and added to the blockchain. This data can be called using another script provided in the project which reads the NFTs through their Token IDs.

How I built it

I built this project using the Verbwire API and Python. In the program, a truck visits six different locations and at each location outputs data regarding temperature, weather, road conditions, fuel used, boxes placed at said location, and the boxes remaining in the truck at the location. These variables are randomized, although they can easily be replaced with data received real time. This data is provided as metadata which is then used to automatically mint an NFT through a smart contract, and is then stored in the blockchain to be later retrieved using a call script. When the NFT is minted, the Token ID of the NFT is outputted so the user can later call upon the data stored in the NFT. At each location, an NFT is minted and then sent to the blockchain. The call script written requires the "ids" list to be changed to have the Token IDs outputted in the prior script. Then, it loops through each NFT and retrieves the metadata regarding each NFT which was minted and uploaded.

Challenges I ran into

Challenges I ran into included understanding blockchain and supply chain optimization so I could pinpoint an area within the supply chain to focus on. I also had to come up with a unique way to utilize block chain to benefit the supply chain process. I focused on the distribution stage of the supply chain, and how shipment can be tracked to benefit the logistics sector and make better business decisions. Another major challenge I ran into was how I could utilize the Verbwire API in this program. Although Verbwire is NFT oriented, I ran into a feature on the documentation which could turn metadata into an NFT. This meant that the NFT could be stored and later retrieved so the data can be analyzed later on.

Accomplishments that I am proud of

I am proud of how I was able to expand my understanding of blockchain and the supply chain within this short period of time. What I am proud of the most from this hackathon is how it pushed me to push myself, allowing me to release a working prototype by the deadline.

What I learned

I learned about the many current applications of blockchain and the many possible future applications of blockchain if it were to be utilized on a greater scale. This hackathon piqued my interest for the blockchain, inspiring me to further pursue that field. I also learned how significant keeping accurate records were to businesses, as they are necessary in settling invoices and making productive business decisions.

What's next for Blockchain for Supply Chain Logistics

This project is a prototype which showcases how this technology can be later used on a larger scale for supply chain optimization. What's next for this project is to expand the record keeping capability of the program to encompass a larger portion of the supply chain, allowing better records to made which can be used to better predict a variety of factors for a company, such as demand and revenue.

Built With

• python
• verbwire