SAP blockchain initiative expands to 27 members

BARCELONA — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) said today that 27 customers and partners, with a total market value of $819 billion,* have joined SAP’s blockchain co-innovation initiative.

• SAP joins Alastria Consortium and BiTA blockchain industry alliance

• Initiative aims to include blockchain into IoT, manufacturing and digital supply-chain solutions

The initiative seeks to integrate the digital ledger system into Internet of Things (IoT), manufacturing and digital supply-chain solutions using the SAP Cloud Platform Blockchain service. The announcement was made at SAP TechEd Barcelona, taking place Nov. 14-16.

Participating companies span the globe and represent the consumer products, telecom, retail, pharmaceuticals, logistics, agriculture, high-tech, aerospace and defense, industrial machinery, energy and utilities, and public services industries. This breadth signals the potential broad adoption of blockchain technology.

“At Deutsche Telekom, we see a big potential for blockchain technology in the telecommunication business,” said Hartmut Mueller, SVP Business Solutions, Deutsche Telekom IT. “Our cooperation with SAP will speed up digitalization to the benefit of our customers.”

SAP also said that it will join Spain’s Alastria Consortium and the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance (BiTA) to expand the adoption of blockchain to customers in a wide range of industries and geographies. Participation in Alastria, which brings together banks, telecom providers, energy companies, universities, smart-city organizations and developers, will allow SAP to strengthen its blockchain ecosystem and network in Europe. As a member of BiTA, an organization promoting the development of blockchain standards and education, SAP will expand its reach in freight and transportation management.

SAP is co-innovating with customers and partners to establish use cases for blockchain that can be standardized to enable wide adoption in digital supply chain solutions built around SAP Leonardo IoT capabilities, including:

• SAP Asset Intelligence Network: A cloud-based business network and global registry of equipment providing a digitalization platform for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) used to share asset information with operators and service providers to improve service targets and increase asset uptime. Blockchain will be explored to further increase the trust level across multiple business partners for collaborative asset management processes, such as audits or asset tracking and provenance.
• SAP Distributed Manufacturing: A network-based application providing a private and secure platform to enable customers to benefit from customized manufacturing and collaborative manufacturing with suppliers (for example, 3D printing service suppliers, material providers, OEMs and technical certification companies). Blockchain will be evaluated to streamline the collaborative manufacturing process.
• SAP Transportation Management: A world-leading application for all transportation modes and industries, which is driving a blockchain case for international trade. Sellers, buyers, banks and authorities would be able to share, review and sign documents electronically, track process statuses and hand over ownership of the e-bill of lading. A secure container release process will be evaluated to reduce frauds and stolen freight.
• SAP Global Track and Trace: A cloud-based solution for unified, end-to-end tracking, monitoring and reporting of objects and business processes across supply chain networks. Blockchain technology will be explored to help make sensitive tracking information immutable and tamper-proof. Information can be positively traced back to the author, building the basis for fully automated payment and settlement processes.
• SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals: An application to enable pharmaceutical supply chain members to comply with global antidrug counterfeit regulations and to facilitate collaboration between supply chain partners in conjunction with SAP Information Collaboration Hub for Life Sciences. Combined with these offerings, blockchain technology will be evaluated to address requirements for sellable returns verification according to U.S. legislation.

“Benjamin Moore & Co. is interested in exploring blockchain technology to streamline operations and improve efficiencies throughout our supply chain,” said Joe Peraino, director — Center of Excellence, Benjamin Moore & Co. “Our company is particularly eager to explore possibilities with transportation management and simplify the complexities that exist in today’s paper-based systems. This type of digital innovation helps Benjamin Moore & Co. deliver on one of our strategic goals — ease of doing business.”

Dr. Tanja Rueckert, president of IoT & Digital Supply Chain, SAP, said:

“Our customers and partners are eager to join SAP in embracing blockchain as a distributed ledger that can increase transparency and collaboration. We are equally eager to co-innovate with the world’s leading companies to reimagine a future where blockchain is woven into the fabric of the digital value chain.”