Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management A Survey of Applications Challenges and Opportunities

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Computing, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
² Assistant Professor, Department of Information Technology, Meenakshi College of Engineering, West K.K. Nagar, Chennai - 600078, Tamil Nadu, India
³ Department of Computer Science and Engineering, MLR Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CS), CVR College of Engineering, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
⁵ Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering, A-4, Rohtak Road, Paschim Vihar, Delhi, India
⁶ Assistant Professor, Department of mechanic, New Prince Shri Bhavani College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

drrajaj@veltech.edu.in
ruba.d@mce.edu.in
vskrishna@mlrit.ac.in
kmanasa44@gmail.com
mohit.t.bvcoe@gmail.com
thomas.t@newprinceshribhavani.com

Abstract

Blockchain technology has become a disruptive force that is quickly reshaping supply chain management by providing greater transparency, security, and efficiency. As promising as the Blockchain is, previous research fails to provide solutions for bringing Blockchain into real-world practice, for getting it up to mass scale, and for ensuring that it meets the regulators’ requirements and these factors limit a more widespread adoption of Blockchain. By offering a review of blockchain-based supply chain management initiatives, their pros and cons, and addressing under-researched topics related to optimized consensus mechanisms, interoperability solutions, and AI-driven solutions integration, this research fills the gaps to decrease inefficiencies in supply chains. As part of the latter, the study presents zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized identity verification and cross-chain protocols as potential solutions to address security concerns and enhance interoperability among multiple chains. Also, a deeper implementation roadmap is provided, enabling pragmatic applicability in real business operations across the global supply chain. By analyzing cases, the study emphasizes the practical contributions of blockchain in traceability, fraud prevention, inventory optimization, and automated contract execution. The results highlight blockchain as a scalable, secure, and legally compliant technology for solving modern supply chain problems, filling the gap between theory and practical adoption.