Importance of blockchain in supply chain for the post-corona era

 The world has witnessed a dramatic digitization drive across industry sectors and verticals during the Pandemic. With the onset of lockdowns, global supply chains have undergone a massive disruption due to shortage in demands and unavailability of resources. Many forklift manufacturers in India believe that as we enter the normal phase again, supply chains will not be the same.

 Restrictions in normalizing supply chain

Global trade has been largely affected due to reasons like travel restrictions, fallout between organizations, restrictions on global or local procurement and rising tensions between multiple superpowers, like China and USA. So, unlike a normal supply chain, which acts as a linear chain of actions and activities within a specified region, the new supply chain will be more of a distributed network that leverages multiple resources like warehouses, material handling equipment or delivery teams, from multiple locations across the world. This way, businesses don’t have to rely on their existing partners and can freely do business with new ones, to fulfil purchase orders.


How does blockchain help?

Blockchain is a decentralized system that functions using a distributed ledger. Any transaction that occurs is updated on the ledger which is present on all computers in the blockchain network. This way, data is accessible to every member of the blockchain and there is transparency in all the dealings. Blockchain can be used to record any activity or action, and is not limited to using a single currency.


The main advantage of the blockchain is that distributed networks comprising of various equipment retailers, businesses and warehouses, can be run and governed by the involved parties themselves without any interruptions from government authorities. It makes data-tracking much more efficient and convenient across the globe. Whether you are purchasing an electric forklift, shipping a container of microchips or procuring raw materials for manufacturing, you can track all data in real-time.


Benefits of using blockchain for supply chain operations:


  1. Maintaining a Consensus:

As mentioned above, blockchain uses a distributed ledger that is available on all systems. That means, any transaction is updated instantly on all copies of the ledger. These copies maintain a consensus amongst them i.e. the information held by majority of the copies (>50%) is accepted as the correct information by all systems. This way, all information is always updated and does not have any errors.


  1. Record of ownership:

Any item, like a tow truck, being dealt, sold or moved within the distributed network will always have a history of origin. That means, any person in the network can see whether the item is newly manufactured or previously owned, and also track its ownership throughout its lifetime.

  1. Immutability:

As the ledger is maintained through a consensus between various systems, the records and data are immune to cyber threats. This is because, if someone were to change the records; let’s say, change the equipment type from ‘order picker’ to ‘tow truck’, he/she would have to assume control of more than 50 % of the systems, which is just impossible!


  1. Smart Contracts:

Smart contracts are blockchain based contracts which are activated as per pre-defined stipulations. This way, all parties are governed by a contract that is visible to all, ensuring every member honours the agreement in a timely fashion.


Linde India is a pioneer in Material handling equipment & Warehouse Equipment. Industrial trucks by Linde; whether it’s a diesel lift truck or an electric stacker, stand out because of their innovative technology aimed at greater cost-effectiveness in logistics. If you are looking material handling equipment dealers or prices in India, you should definitely check out their website- www.lindemhe.com

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