If you read the media headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking that blockchain technology is solely about cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin.  The reality, of course, is somewhat different, and the technology has a wide range of possible applications aside from providing a digital currency.

An example of what’s possible was proposed in a recent paper by North Carolina State University, who believe that blockchain could be used to provide and share verifiable manufacturing data.  They believe that such a public and open source solution could allow big companies to find small and medium-sized manufacturers more efficiently and effectively.

“Small- and medium-scale manufacturers often lack the resources and network reach necessary to make all of their potential clients aware of their manufacturing capabilities,” they explain.  “A public network like the one we’re proposing would help potential clients find manufacturers with relevant expertise and equipment in an efficient way.

Their approach, which is dubbed FabRec, would enable companies to report all of their manufacturing activities automatically, including the machines they use, the materials they’re working with, inventory levels and so on.

Accurate data

The team believe that because the data is reported automatically, this will ensure its accuracy, with the use of blockchain technology creating an audit trail of all events back to their source.  They believe this will ensure the accountability of the system, and therefore allow clients to easily find the right manufacturers, and vice versa without having to rely on translating the marketing material.

To test the concept, the team developed FabRec, which is a publicly-accessible prototype network that can accept inputs from a handful of machines.  Having proved the concept, the team next hope to scale things up and establish protocols with participating manufacturers.

“Our network shows that the concept is viable, but the next step would be to establish agreed-upon protocols with participating manufacturers,” the team say. “That would allow the creation of code that permits users to report – and search for – any given set of parameters, such as type of product, production time, cost, and so on.”

To help the project develop, the team are looking to build up their partner network of manufacturers and IT companies to advance the tool so that it becomes an invaluable resource for supply chain professionals.