Impacts of Blockchain on Supply Chain for Avoiding Counterfeits of Obsolete Parts

Dr. Diganta Das [CALCE, University of Maryland]

Abstract: 

Co-authors: Dr. Hirbod Akhavantaheri and Prof. Peter A. Sandborn

Blockchain technology, as a distributed ledger platform, has shown promise for resolving the issues associated with a lack of trust and improving the transparency in peer-to-peer transactional networks. There are opportunities to apply blockchain for supply chain concepts to mitigate the risks associated with part authenticity in the obsolete part supply chain.

Today, the conceptualized blockchain for the supply chain is limited to ensuring the authenticity of parts for which the original component manufacturer (OCM) currently provides active post-sales support. No application or analysis of blockchain for the supply chain has addressed how the blockchain for parts evolves after the OCM and its authorized distributors depart from the commerce chain associated with the part. Once the independent distributor environment controls a part’s availability, blockchain’s meaning and value for the supply chain become murkier. While a system integrator can declare a policy that it would never procure a part that does not have a complete chain of custody back to the OCM, the reality is that no such parts may exist in the future, even when part demand still exists. Several fundamental questions arise, including: without the OCM or an authorized distributor as the genesis block for the blockchain, who confirms the authenticity of a part on the blockchain? What are the implications of limited data entry by the supply chain actors leading to incomplete ledgers? How does the existence of a blockchain or the lack of a blockchain contribute to the trust the customer should have in a distributor?

This presentation introduces a blockchain framework resilient to aging (e.g., the loss of involvement of the OCM and its authorized distributors, and loss of part of the transaction history). An agent-based model is introduced as a novel platform to test the impact of the proposed blockchain framework on supply chain parties as well as the prevalence of counterfeits of obsolete parts. The model can validate the proposed protocol over the entire life cycle of a part (i.e., from active production to discontinuance and beyond) and predict the parties’ adoption rates and changes in the prevalence of counterfeit parts with an aging blockchain.

Biography: 

Dr. Diganta Das, with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.Tech. in Manufacturing Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, serves as an Associate Research Scientist at the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering. His expertise lies in the domains of reliability, environmental and operational ratings of electronic parts, counterfeit electronics, and technology trends in electronic parts. Dr. Das has made significant contributions as a technical editor for IEEE standards and currently holds the position of vice chair in the standards group of the IEEE Reliability Society. He is actively involved in various SAE committees, notably leading the SAE G-19 counterfeit detection standards group. Additionally, Dr. Das has been instrumental in organizing the CALCE/SMTA Counterfeit Parts and Materials Symposium since 2007. His research interests encompass electronic parts supply chain, counterfeit electronics avoidance and detection, LED failure mechanisms, cooling systems in telecommunications infrastructure, and power electronics reliability. A Six Sigma Black Belt, Dr. Das is a member of IEEE, IMAPS, SAE, and SMTA, and his work is showcased through more than 75 publications and numerous presentations at international conferences and workshops.

Dr. Diganta Das

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