Blockchain use cases in sustainable supply chain

Sara Saberi, PhD

Associate Professor,

Worcetser Polytechnic Institute 

Short Bio:

Sara Saberi, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Operations and Industrial Engineering at WPI. She completed her second PhD in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2016. Her main research interests lie at the intersection of supply chain management, Blockchain, game theory and network optimization. Her research published in the leading journals including the European Journal of Operational Research, Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, International Journal of Production Research, and International Journal of Production Economics. She has been awarded multiple grants as PI from APICS’ Research Grant, Alfred P. Slone Foundation/Environmental Law Institute, National Science Foundation, and The U.S. Economic Development Administration. Due to her contributions to the supply chain field, which have benefited manufacturers, she has been honored with the esteemed Norton Assistant Professorship. 

Abstract:

This presentation provides theoretical and practical managerial insights on emerging blockchain technology. Specifically, I introduce rudimentary blockchain technology features and their relationship to supply chain management and their use cases in sustainable supply chain networks. I expand my discussion into what managers need to know on the linkage of blockchains to sustainable supply chains and the circular economy. Overall, there is substantial potential for blockchain to support corporate and supply chain sustainability—but care should be taken to understand the pitfalls.