On April 20, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its internal report 8419 entitled "Blockchain and Related Technologies supporting Manufacturing Supply Chain Traceability: Needs and Industry Perspectives."
Manufacturing supply chains are becoming increasingly vulnerable to disruption and are being targeted by malicious attempts to steal proprietary information or disrupt products. Therefore, to help manufacturing supply chains, report 8419 recommends the adoption of tamper-proof technologies such as blockchain to create a complete supply chain ecosystem that ensures product traceability.
The report begins with an overview of the manufacturing supply chain, which includes connected sets of manufacturing resources, products, and processes that are typically not linear but rather network-like structures. To ensure the integrity of the supply chain, manufacturing companies must track "product origin," which is the origin, development, ownership, location, and chronology of systems or system components and related data. Companies must validate or ensure this "pedigree" of supply chain processes.
Report put forward to solve the supply chain traceability requirements of data sharing and storage technology, including the block chain technology, is a kind of distributed books are used to store all network activity. In essence, blockchain technology creates a digital trail for products that moves through the supply chain. Blockchain also has a two-step verification process that cannot be changed once released, making it a public record that all users of the supply chain can access and verify the authenticity of all product data.
Report also gives a used to improve manufacturing supply chain traceability of block chain case studies and related technology, including:
Increased production of gluten-free raw materials from suppliers to consumers;
Four proof of concept demonstrations of aviation supply chain;
Digital supply chain tracking from supplier to manufacturer to dod;
A fortune 500 company production line block chain integration;
Enabling pharmaceutical companies to meet the requirements of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Safety Act;
Product RFID serialization data tracking from distribution center to retailer;
Finally, the report describes research opportunities around blockchain and related technologies. The NIST Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) Network Control Systems Group will collaborate with the National Cyber Security Center of Excellence (NCCoE) on the future of blockchain and related technologies to support traceability in the manufacturing supply chain.