What an interesting week this was!
Previously, I was thrilled when Eric Johnson at the Journal of Commerce invited me to be a panelist at the inaugural JoC Logistics Technology Conference in Las Vegas this week. Somewhere north of 200 industry professionals gathered to learn, debate, network and think about the current and future state of technology in logistics. I learnt a lot and was humbled!
The panel that I was fortunate enough to join was asked to discuss: “Is the timing right for blockchain adoption?” The chairman was Peter Tirschwell and the panel comprised Katia Kozak of ODYN, John Monarch of ShipChain and me (of Cleaca Consulting). We each presented our thoughts and perceptions on potential value cases, obstacles, the logistics industry ten years from now (from a blockchain perspective) and more. My thoughts on some of these topics are covered in previous articles.
Following the conference and many discussions with attendees, I feel that:
Full-scale adoption of blockchain-based solutions and disruptive transformation of the ocean container shipping industry remains years away
Blockchain hype will continue to come from multiple angles, for example: blockchain platform providers, enterprise systems vendors, logistics services providers and disruptive app startups
If enterprise systems (eg, ERP, PLM, TMS) move from blockchain hype to adopting blockchain as an underlay architecture, then their installed base and existing supply chain / logistics process footprint might be the difference-maker to get the blockchain value realization ball rolling
Equally, the right killer app from a startup (or partnership of startups) might offer the easiest way to realize blockchain value quickly… and with least burden on IT
Aside from blockchain, the conference provided a great opportunity to mix with some of the brightest brains in the logistics technology industry, share smart ideas, gain new perspectives and feel the sheer passion for a more agile global logistics industry. There is no doubt that we continue to have an exciting future ahead for transformation of logistics in global supply chains – whether it comes from blockchain, artificial intelligence, IoT, predictive analytics, machine learning or something else. New ideas and venture capital-backed startups are coming at an ever-increasing rate… some of them will ‘stick’ enough to make a difference.
Well done Eric Johnson, Peter Tirschwell, Chris Brooks and all at JoC Events for a great event!