This study aims to build smart supply chains for the first time using the internet of things (IoT) and blockchain. Classification and clarification of causal relationships can provide a useful framework for researchers and professionals who seek to implement an intelligent supply chain using IoT tools in a blockchain platform, and it also demonstrates the intensity of communications indicating such relationships. The research methodology is mixed method, comprised of qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative method includes the Delphi method used for selecting indigenous components and features proper for the pattern. The quantitative method is the Dematel method used for assessing the relationships between the available concepts in the pattern and accessing the network structure between components. Interpretative Structural Modeling is also employed to classify the network structure obtained from the Dematel technique. The findings of the study identify indicators of IoT and blockchain as causes based on Dematel, application of tools, components interconnectedness, optimal decision making, automatedness, integration, innovation and learning, which are indicators of smart supply chain, are the effects in this study.

Project implementations normally fail due to sustainable development problems that inhibit the usage levels required to facilitate successful implementations. This paper explores the successful implementation from a Bangladesh perspective. In particular, it identifies the possible applications of Blockchain in project procurement and management, and it develops a guideline for incorporating Blockchain into project management to improve the existing project and the procurement management practices in developing countries. This is a qualitative study with an interpretivist research methodology. By adopting an interpretive approach, this study construes knowledge as that only gained through social constructions, such as language, shared meanings, documents, industry reports, reviews of academic papers, and tools; it is a changing and relative phenomenon. This study reveals that developing countries are suffering in terms of the development of projects, including poor project management, a lack of transparency, poor procurement management, etc. A total of 38 issues were identified through this study, which are the main barriers to the successful implementation of public sector projects. One of the main reasons is due to the practice of awarding the lowest bidder during the procurement process due to the current regulatory requirements. This paper found that the Oracle platform, built on Blockchain technology as a cloud-computing platform, is one of the prominent E-procurement platforms that provides both the Blockchain platform and the cloud-based applications. Therefore, after observing and analysing the platform, it is found that Blockchain technology has the capability to resolve 25 issues out of 38 identified issues.

Project delivery on time, with agreed quality and assigned budget, is the desire of project-based companies. Time, quality, and cost are determinants of project success; however, organisations suffer from achieving these three success criteria at the same time. Failures in project delivery cause the loss of the competitive advantage. The recent digital technologies introduce smart contracts to supply chain (SC) operations for improving SC processes. Project procurement is the area for smart contract implementation to deliver successful projects and gain sustainable competitive advantages. The aim of this study was in explaining how smart contracts benefit project organisations through project procurement. Qualitative research design guided this research with phenomenology. Semi-structured interviews generated the data. The obtained research data were analysed with thematic, textual, and discourse analysis. Published industry reports were used to triangulate the data. This study demonstrated an integrated relationship model to answer the research question. The research findings initially identified the fact that smart contracts improve procurement efficiency through cost, time, and quality. Secondly, smart contracts build a trust-less platform where reliability is delivered and reinforced with transparency, traceability, and security. This study found that enhanced procurement efficiency and reliability meet requirements to gain sustainable competitive advantages. This study intends to contribute to industry practices and future research. The correlation of project procurement management success, smart contracts, and sustainable competitive advantages are expected to guide feature research and business practices.

This study introduces a new approach for the competence development of the socio-technical aspect. The curriculum of the Project Management (PM) course taught in degree programs concentrates largely on imparting technical knowledge. Current research seeks to direct the attention of the PM curriculum towards Personal Competencies as well. PM studies not only require a project to be carried out successfully but also expect students to demonstrate certain personal competencies, behaviors, and traits to effectively lead the project team. This research seeks to inform action and yield pertinent knowledge and instructional material around the desired personal competence. This study adopts an exploratory and (educational) action research approach with a quantitative mode of inquiry. The first of the four phases of this study comprises an action-based approach to find out which Personal Competence is essential for PM students. The second phase is of further follow-ups with the research subjects that indicate their lack of understanding of the PM personal competencies. The next phase employs a second survey showing that the Communication Skills of research subjects need work. The last phase offers a comprehensive training plan around the required competence, a training evaluation tool, a competence assessment exam, and tools for training and trainer feedback. The findings of this research bear immense implications for PM competence building and curriculum. The practical contribution of the study offers a way to prepare the graduates for ready employability.

Supply chain management can significantly benefit from contemporary technologies. Among these technologies, blockchain is considered suitable for anti-counterfeiting and traceability applications due to its openness, decentralization, anonymity, and other characteristics. This article introduces different types of blockchains and standard algorithms used in blockchain technology and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. To improve the work efficiency of anti-counterfeiting traceability systems in supply chains and reduce their energy consumption, this paper proposes a model based on the practical Byzantine fault tolerance (PBFT) algorithm of alliance chains. This model uses a credit evaluation system to select the primary node and integrates the weightage to contributors (WtC) algorithm based on the consensus mechanism. This model can reduce the decline in the algorithm success rate while increasing the number of malicious transaction nodes, thereby reducing the computing cost. Additionally, the throughput of the algorithmic system increases rapidly, reaching approximately 680 transactions per second (TPS) in about 120 min after the malicious nodes are eliminated. The throughput rapidly increases as the blacklist mechanism reduces the number of malicious nodes, which improves the system’s fault tolerance. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed model, a case study was conducted using data from the anti-counterfeiting traceability system of the real-life supply chain of a food company. The analysis results show that after a period of stable operation of the WtCPBFT algorithm in the proposed model, the overall communication cost of the system was reduced, the throughput and stability were improved, and the fault-tolerant performance of the system was improved. In conclusion, this paper presents a novel model that utilizes the PBFT algorithm of alliance chains and the WtC algorithm to improve the efficiency and security of anti-counterfeiting traceability systems in supply chains. The results of the case study indicate that this model can effectively reduce communication costs, improve throughput and stability, and enhance the fault tolerance of the system.

This study presents an analytic model to support the general public in evaluating digital currency exchange platforms. Advances in technologies have offered profitable opportunities, but the general public has difficulty accessing appropriate information on digital currency exchange platforms to facilitate their investments and trading. This study aims to provide a decision support system using analytic models that will guide the public in deciding the appropriate digital currency exchange platform for trading and investment. The overarching objective is to support the public in embracing the new era of a dependable, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society. Particularly, this study offers an analytics model that compares numerous well-known digital currency exchange platforms based on the opinions of 34 human expert members on six main criteria to identify the most suitable platform. In this study, the analytic hierarchy process approach, which is a multiple-criteria decision-making method, and Expert Choice software were used for decision support. Using pairwise comparisons of exchanges with respect to the criteria in the software, the weight of each exchange was determined, and these weights became the basis for prioritizing the exchange platform. This study provides valuable insight into how an analytics-driven expert system can support the public in selecting their digital currency exchange platform. This work is an integral part of an effort to help disruptive digital technology become widely accepted by the general public.