A solution approach for the anonymous sharing of sensitive supply chain traceability data

Abstract: Supply chain traceability systems have become central in many industries, however, traceability data is often commercially sensitive, and firms seek to keep it confidential to protect their competitive advantage. This is at odds with calls for greater transparency in supply chains for sustainability and efficiency. In this research paper, we develop a solution to this conflict. We demonstrate that sanitised data can be used to confirm the authenticity of products and anonymously verify the rights of an actor to access detailed traceability data. Following a design science methodology, we develop a prototype protocol and verify its performance with traceability data based on the global standard EPCIS.