A Block-Chain of Things (BcoT) Based System for Detecting Counterfeit Products in Supply Chain Management

Abstract

In manufacturing, a product is composed of several parts getting from different manufacturers. However, some counterfeit parts may come into the supply chain. If we are applying technologies that are against fraud to each part of a product, the cost will be increased. Combination of block chain and Internet of Things can give a solution. Each part of a product is tied with a unique Product Information Code (PIC). Moreover, an unchanging over time is linked with this PIC code. The recognition of each part can then be saved in a block chain, which is tamper-proof. For an example, the product can be authenticated through a block chain database. We propose a smart contract based verification to ensure data source of supply chain using Block-chain of Things (BcoT) system. It can also be used to reduce the cost of after-sale of an item. Since it does not allow third parties in all stages of the supply chain, it fastens the speed and reduces the danger in supply chain management.