Amazon has filed a patent for a blockchain system tracking goods on the supply chain.
Amazon’s patent is dated May 26 and describes a “distributed ledger certification” system.
The tracking solution ensures that consumer goods that are sold on its ecommerce site are authentic.
The abstract reads:
“Features are disclosed for an interface for verifiable tracking of an item through a supply chain using a distributed electronic ledger.”
The tracking solution would render items moving along the supply chain from production to the end user are visible.
It may also allow participants such as manufacturers, couriers, distributors, end users, and even secondary users to add events to the ledger after registering with a certification authority.
The author explains that the system at large aims to improve:
“trust through an enterprise services platform that allows parties to map their global supply chains.”
The certification authority would apply rules for testing and certification such as ensuring item quality through the supply chain.
It might even require certain certification steps before the item can continue moving forward.
The patent’s author also claims that traditional tracking solutions do not fit the modern fragmented supply chains:
“The increasingly distributed and modularized physical supply chain where each entity works with multiple customer-facing channels, has led to limited adoption of these siloed tools. The features described break this mold by building a lower-level set of open standards and services that provide a trustworthy framework for participants to use.”
The reliable and immutable nature of blockchain technology is a natural fit for supply chain tracking solutions.
Source: Cointelegraph | Image: Unsplash