Blockchain remains a popular topic, but supply chain leaders are failing to find suitable use cases. By 2023, 90% of blockchain-based supply chain initiatives will suffer ‘blockchain fatigue’ due to a lack of strong use cases, according to Gartner, Inc.

A Gartner supply chain technology survey of user wants and needs* found that only 19% of respondents ranked blockchain as a very important technology for their business, and only 9% have invested in it. This is mainly because supply chain blockchain projects are very limited and do not match the initial enthusiasm for the technology’s application in supply chain management.

“Supply chain blockchain projects have mostly focused on verifying authenticity, improving traceability and visibility, and improving transactional trust,” said Alex Pradhan, senior principal research analyst at Gartner. “However, most have remained pilot projects due to a combination of technology immaturity, lack of standards, overly ambitious scope and a misunderstanding of how blockchain could, or should, actually help the supply chain. Inevitably, this is causing the market to experience blockchain fatigue.”

The budding nature of blockchain makes it almost impossible for organizations to identify and target specific high-value use cases. Instead, companies are forced to run multiple development pilots using trial and error to find ones that might provide value. Additionally, the vendor ecosystem has not fully formed and is struggling to establish market dominance. Another challenge is that supply chain organizations cannot buy an off-the-shelf, complete, packaged blockchain solution.

“Without a vibrant market for commercial blockchain applications, the majority of companies do not know how to evaluate, assess and benchmark solutions, especially as the market landscape rapidly evolves,” said Ms. Pradhan. “Furthermore, current creations offered by solution providers are complicated hybrids of conventional blockchain technologies. This adds more complexity and confusion, making it that much harder for companies to identify appropriate supply chain use cases.”

As blockchain continues to develop in supply chains, Gartner recommends that organizations remain cautious about early adoption and not to rush into making blockchain work in their supply chain until there is a clear distinction between hype and the core capability of blockchain. “The emphasis should be on proof of concept, experimentation and limited-scope initiatives that deliver lessons, rather than high-cost, high-risk, strategic business value,” said Ms. Pradhan.

Gartner clients can read more in the report “Predicts 2019: Future of Supply Chain Operations.” More predictions for all aspects of the IT industry can be found in “Predicts 2019: Leadership Means Expanding Options, Not Limiting Them — A Gartner Trend Insight Report,” a collection of research aimed at helping CIOs and other IT leaders focus on how the landscape is shifting for individuals, businesses and IT organizations.

More information on how to innovate and scale the supply chain can be found on the Gartner Chief Supply Chain Officer Insight Hub.

*For Editors:

The survey was conducted between November 2017 and February 2018 among 303 respondents from North America, EMEA, Asia/Pacific and South America. The survey explored the role technology plays in supply chains, how supply chain organizations leverage technology for competitive advantage, and their changing views about how best to exploit technology in supply chain management organizations.

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