Potentials of blockchain technology for the quality management of interconnected processes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze and demonstrate application potentials of blockchain technology in the context of production and quality management (QM).
Design/methodology/approach – This papersystematically investigates the characteristics of blockchain technology and process management within QM, subsequently interrelating the findings to formulate future application propositions. The resultant propositions are discussed for implementation and feasibility purpose in form of a use case in the automotive sector.
Findings – Blockchain can impact QM through its wide assortment of application potentials creating new opportunities for quality improvement, collaborative quality management as well as traceability and documentation. We found that a prospective quality management will significantly benefit from blockchain technology, especially in the context of process interoperability and complexity.
Research limitations/implications – This research is limited to blockchain applications in the context of QM, complex processes, and manufacturing. In our research we excluded work related to finance, government and public administration.
Practical implications – Our research is valuable for scholars and practitioners to identify new use cases of blockchain technology and to understand its future impact on quality and process management.
Originality/value – This is the first paper to investigate the impact and implication of blockchain technology from a quality management perspective.

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Blockchain, quality management, interconnected processes, process complexity