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A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains
Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613937003921408 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Wolf, Dieter Erhard |
| author2 | Louw, Louis |
| author_browse | Louw, Louis Wolf, Dieter Erhard |
| author_facet | Louw, Louis Wolf, Dieter Erhard |
| author_sort | Wolf, Dieter Erhard |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126107 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:04.029Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126107 A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains Wolf, Dieter Erhard Louw, Louis Palm, Daniel Blockchain Relational Database Supply Chain Digitalisation Cost effectiveness Information technology -- Moral and ethical aspects Trade blocs Technological innovations UCTD Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Global trade is plagued by slow and inefficient manual processes associated with physical documents. Firms are constantly looking for new ways to improve transparency and increase the resilience of their supply chains. This can be solved by the digitalisation of supply chains and the automation of document- and information-sharing processes. Blockchain is touted as a solution to these issues due to its unique combination of features, such as immutability, decentralisation and transparency. Unfortunately, a lack of business cases that quantify the costs and benefits causes uncertainty as to the truth of these claims. This thesis explores how the costs and benefits of a blockchain-based solution for digitalising and automating documentation flows in cross-border supply chains compare to a conventional centralised relational database solution. A literature review was performed on relevant topics and a case study with semi-structured interviews in a complex cross-border supply chain was carried out to collect data for this research. The data was used to construct two conceptual models that represent alternative solutions for digitising information flows in cross-border supply chains – one based on relational databases and one based on blockchains. An analysis was performed to compare the two models to see which is the better solution. The analysis is in the form of a cost-benefit analysis and was split into a financial and non-financial part. The nonfinancial analysis used the Architecture Trade-off Analysis Method, as well as the Analytical Network Process method – two scientific methods for making complex multi-criteria decisions. Industry experts validated the analysis to ensure that results that are representative of global supply chains in general are obtained. Both the financial and non-financial analysis led to more favourable results towards blockchains. It shows lower financial costs, larger financial benefits and a slightly greater utility for the solution’s purpose when compared to relational databases. Taking the literature, interviews and analysis into account, a conclusion was made. A more decentralised blockchain-based solution is the preferred solution for addressing the issues of slow and inefficient document-sharing processes in cross-border supply chains when compared to conventional centralised solutions based on relational databases. Although blockchain is still an emerging technology with limitations and challenges, it is already beginning to show its potential in supply chains, with even more room for growing in the future. AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Wereldhandel word geteister deur stadige en ondoeltreffende handmatige prosesse wat met fisiese dokumente assosieer word. Firmas is voortdurend opsoek na nuwe maniere om deursigtigheid te verbeter en die veerkragtigheid van hul voorsieningskettings te verhoog. Dit kan opgelos word deur die digitalisering van voorsieningskettings en die outomatisering van prosesse wat die vloei van dokumente en inligting fasiliteer. Blokkettings is ’n moontlike oplossing vir hierdie kwessies as gevolg van die tegnologie se unieke kombinasie van kenmerke, soos onveranderlikheid, desentralisering en deursigtigheid. Ongelukkig veroorsaak ’n gebrek aan besigheidsake wat die koste en voordele kwantifiseer onsekerheid oor die waarheid van hierdie eise. Hierdie tesis ondersoek hoe die kostes en voordele van ’n blockchain-gebaseerde oplossing vir die digitalisering en outomatisering van dokumentasievloeie in globale voorsieningskettings vergelyk met ’n konvensionele gesentraliseerde relasionele databasisoplossing. ’n Literatuurstudie is uitgevoer oor relevante onderwerpe en ’n gevallestudie met semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude in ’n komplekse globale voorsieningsketting is uitgevoer om data vir hierdie navorsing in te samel. Die data is gebruik om twee konseptuele modelle te ontwikkel wat alternatiewe oplossings vir die digitalisering van inligtingvloei in oorgrensende voorsieningskettings verteenwoordig – een gebaseer op relasionele databasisse en een gebaseer op blokkettings. ’n Ontleding is uitgevoer om die twee modelle te vergelyk om te sien watter oplossing die beste is. Die ontleding is in die vorm van ’n koste-voordeel-analise en is in finansi¨ele en nie-finansi¨ele dele verdeel. Die nie-finansi¨ele analise het die Architecture Trade-off Analysis metode gebruik, sowel as die Analytic Network Process – twee wetenskaplike metodes om komplekse multikriteria-besluite te neem. Bedryfskundiges het die ontleding bekragtig om te verseker dat resultate verkry word wat verteenwoordigend van globale voorsieningskettings oor die algemeen is. Beide die finansi¨ele en nie-finansi¨ele ontleding het gelei tot gunstige resultate teenoor blokkettings. Dit toon laer finansi¨ele kostes, groter finansi¨ele voordele en ’n effens groter nut vir die oplossing se doel in vergelyking met relasionele databasisse. ’n Gevolgtrekking is gemaak gebaseer op die literatuur, onderhoude en ontleding. In vergelyking met konvensionele gesentraliseerde oplossings gebaseer op relasionele databasisse, is ’n meer gedesentraliseerde blokketting-gebaseerde oplossing ’n beter oplossing om die kwessies van stadige en ondoeltreffende dokumentdelingprosesse in globale voorsieningskettings aan te spreek. Alhoewel blokkettings steeds ’n opkomende tegnologie met beperkings en uitdagings is, begin dit reeds potensiaal in voorsieningskettings te wys, met selfs meer ruimte vir groei in die toekoms. 2022-11-11T16:35:25Z 2023-01-16T12:50:26Z 2022-11-11T16:35:25Z 2023-01-16T12:50:26Z 2022-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126107 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xix, 202 pages : illustrations. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Blockchain Relational Database Supply Chain Digitalisation Cost effectiveness Information technology -- Moral and ethical aspects Trade blocs Technological innovations UCTD Wolf, Dieter Erhard A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains |
| title | A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains |
| title_full | A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains |
| title_fullStr | A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains |
| title_full_unstemmed | A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains |
| title_short | A cost-benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross-border supply chains |
| title_sort | cost benefit analysis of blockchain versus relational databases for digitalising and automating information flows in cross border supply chains |
| topic | Blockchain Relational Database Supply Chain Digitalisation Cost effectiveness Information technology -- Moral and ethical aspects Trade blocs Technological innovations UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126107 |
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