DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to a system and method for real time traceability of material flow across supply chains in the textile industry. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method that establishes real time and end to end traceability through a robust combination of chain of custody of material flow through blockchain technology as well as a unique source verification mechanism at every stage of the supply chain.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Generally, in the textile industry, supply chain collaboration is between a series of suppliers and buyers (value chain partners) identified to fulfil respective end product requirements. The supply chain partners can be fiber producers, yarn manufacturers, fabric producers, garment sellers, wholesalers, traders, brands, and retailers. The ultimate goal of management of supply chain is to meet customers’ demand more efficiently by providing the right product, in the right quantity, on the right time and in the right condition.
[003] In order to maximize the performance of supply chain, it is essential that there is proper collaboration and coordination among all partners. However, in the current system for supply chain management, there is lack of such coordination among partners resulting in opaqueness in the supply chain. There is utter lack of visibility on material flow leading to sub-optimal tracking of key aspects such as quality, ethical sourcing, OTIF, etc. There have been limited attempts at adoption of digital method of supply chain management by a small set of value chain members using simple portal-based data upload systems however they still have only limited visibility and insight into where all their products are at any given moment.
[004] Moreover, the current systems are primarily 'reporting based', thereby lacking means of establishing authenticity of data across the supply chain. Due to a gap in data collection and data inconsistency with respect to the material that is in transit from the manufacturer to its final destination, there is a high possibility of mixing of material thereby deterring the brand requirement of quality control. Also, due to this gap in the supply chain, any partner can feed in incorrect data in the system at any given time thereby refuting authentication of data flow in the supply chain. Hence, there is a need to improve and strengthen the supply chain by establishing scalable, secure and mutually acceptable methods of material tracking.
[005] Furthermore, there is a need for a system to establish end to end traceability in textile supply chain. Presently, there is only one-way tracking of information flow through reported invoice numbers from the raw material supplier to the brand or buying house or retailer with no correlation to the actual material movement. Also, there is no methodology for mapping of material or verification of provenance once material flows through the supply chain downstream process. Due to this, the process losses cannot be traced leading to ambiguity in mass balancing of the material. This not only increases the gap in the supply chain but also beats the requirement of establishing sustainability credentials of the textile value chain.
[006] Lastly, the supply chain management system known in the art does not provide a real time data visibility. There is a time lag between the procurement of order by a partner and feeding of details related to the order completion/failure into the system and approval from relevant authorities, thus making the current system ineffective. Additionally, there is a need of a system for supply chain traceability that lets all its partners approve of the credentials of the material flow on a real time basis without a need to look at the flow of data, thereby ensuring information security along with simultaneous real-time authentication of the said information.
[007] Thus, there is a need of a system and method for data traceability across the supply chain that obviates challenges around information security, self-audit mechanism, seamless integration of data across entities, counterfeiting and fraud, quality control and real time visibility in the textile supply chain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a blockchain based system for data traceability in a supply chain in a textile industry. The blockchain based system includes a blockchain based portal server configured to provide a user interface on a computing device of manufacturer so as to enable the manufacturer to raise a request for a textile material, the request comprising information regarding a purchase order of the textile material; inform one or more suppliers regarding the request; receive updates from one or more suppliers regarding availability of the textile material through a user interface executing on corresponding computing devices; assign a unique authentication code to the textile material when a supplier provides a confirmation regarding availability of the textile material and a purchase order is completed; provide a user interface on a computing device of a customer, wherein the user interface enables the customer to scan and verify the unique authentication code for tracing the movement of the textile material throughout the supply chain; and store details of each verification and transaction throughout the supply chain in a distributed ledger using blockchain technology.
[009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a blockchain based method for data traceability in a supply chain in a textile industry. The blockchain based method includes providing a user interface on a computing device of manufacturer so as to enable the manufacturer to raise a request for a textile material, the request comprising information regarding a purchase order of the textile material; informing one or more suppliers regarding the request; receiving updates from one or more suppliers regarding availability of the textile material through a user interface executing on corresponding computing devices; assigning a unique authentication code to the textile material when a supplier provides a confirmation regarding availability of the textile material and a purchase order is completed; providing a user interface on a computing device of a customer, wherein the user interface enables the customer to scan and verify the unique authentication code for tracing the movement of the textile material throughout the supply chain; and storing details of each verification and transaction throughout the supply chain using blockchain technology.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[010] Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.
[011] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system for providing real time traceability of data flow across the supply chain, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[012] FIG. 2 illustrates the two-way provenance tracking method for providing supply chain traceability implemented on the system of figure 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[013] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing real time traceability of data flow across the supply chain, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[014] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing real time traceability of data flow across the supply chain in detail, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[015] The embodiments of the present invention eliminate or reduces the aforementioned problems of the prior art by providing a system and method for end to end tracing of material flow in the supply chain on a real time basis by using blockchain technology, thereby providing a consistent chain of custody of material across the supply chain. As the system provided by the present invention is enabled by two-fold provenance tracking, there is an enhanced and more of a ‘real time’ coordination of activities and information sharing among supply chain partners. The use of blockchain in supply chain management results in complete integration of the supply chain and development of a holistic perspective, that spans from the retail customers at the teeth-end to the primary raw material manufacturer at the tail-end.
[016] In an embodiment, the invention relates to a system for providing real time data traceability in supply chain, the system comprising a portal server, which is based on blockchain technology, through which a company can raise a demand to a supplier, the demand at least comprises of data related to the material / product for which a demand is raised such as purchase order, invoice number, sales order, etc., a server of a service provider in communication with the portal server, the server of the service provider configured to send notification to / from the supplier through the supplier’s server, a mobile device for scanning a unique authentication code generated by the portal sever at the end of completion of all shipments in the supply chain for a given product, and a software installed in the mobile device for displaying the entire supply chain to a customer who scans the unique authentication code.
[017] FIG.1 shows a system 100 for data traceability in a supply chain, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 100 includes an organization 102 that raises a demand for a material either manually or through an application programming interface (API) 104 on a blockchain based portal server 106. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the organization 102 may raise a demand through an excel upload. Once the demand is raised on the portal server 106, one or more supplier(s) 108 of the material may be informed through an email/SMS server 110. In the context of the present disclosure, each supplier 108 may have their own supplier server 112.
[018] If the supplier 108 has the material and can fulfill the demand of the organization 102, they decide to ship the finished good with such material, and input such information on the portal server 106 either manually or through an application programming interface (API) 114 or through an excel upload. In the event, the supplier 108 is not in possession of the material or decides to not ship its existing material for the order, it raises a further demand for the material through the portal server 106 to another supplier down the supply chain and inputs its order completion and/or failure on the portal server 106. This feeding of information related to successful or failed orders occur at every stage of the supply chain by all its partners (set of suppliers) on a real time basis and results in enhanced visibility of information as well as material flow.
[019] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, upon completion of the final order, the portal server 106 may generate a unique authentication code that assists in tracing the movement of the material throughout the supply chain at any given time. In an example, the unique authentication code may be a QR code and is imprinted on the product labels by the organization 102 in order to demonstrate authentication of the final product, to its customers.
[020] In an embodiment, a customer 116 who purchase the product have access to a user device 118 through which the customer 116 can scan the unique authentication code imprinted on the label of the product and receive traceability information of the entire supply chain of the final product. A plurality of customers may also be given access to the unique authentication code simultaneously to track the supply chain related data. Preferably, the system as described hereinabove can be used for tracking the supply chain of any commercially available product in the textile industry. The customer scans the unique identification code with the help of the user device 118 to trace the entire value chain of the product.
[021] In the system provided by the present invention, there is no gap in data collection or any data inconsistency with respect to the material that is in transit from a manufacturer to its final destination as all the data is collected on a real time basis. Moreover, the blockchain enabled system makes it practically impossible to counterfeit or manipulate or delete entries at any level. It also negates the possibility of any mixing of material thereby enabling the brand to exhibit authentication of quality of its final products to its customers.
[022] In another embodiment, while the blockchain enabled system results in traceability of material flow across the supply chain in textile industry, source verification at every stage of the chain requires presence of a taggant. This solution includes introduction of unique non-reactive additives (at the particulate or even molecular level) at an early stage of production in the value chain to ensure that the fibre with required credentials is the one used downstream and accordingly the same material flows across the supply chain. It also helps in preventing cross contamination or unintentional mixing or adulteration. In one embodiment, this method can be effectively used in man-made natural or synthetic fibres. Man-made natural fibres include but not limited to cellulosic fibers, VSF or Modal, or Lyocell and their variants or derivatives thereof. In an embodiment, this taggant can be verified using laboratory techniques or a hand-held device at any stage of the downstream production up until the final garment.
[023] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the system is configured to verify every entry made on the portal server 106 by various partners, with the help of specific algorithms; the system checking for product losses including the input being greater than the output and in case it is correct, the system validating the entry fed on the portal server 106. In an embodiment, in the event the input is not greater than the output of the material, the portal server 106 notifies the same to the organization 102, and the transaction is denied.
[024] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the portal server 106 includes information regarding following:
a. Incoming Order Page Layout
b. Shipments of outward material against incoming orders
c. Option for downloading Auto-generated Certificate for transaction between two entities. Owing to the unique design of the solution, any supply chain partner can download an input material veracity certificate for any shipment. This certificate can be downloaded directly from the system after all necessary shipment details are added. This unique feature reduces the industry-wide challenge of prolonged physical process of material veracity certification. It restricts misuse of certification process as multiple certificates for same quantity can no longer be circulated.
d. Order creation without linking any incoming purchase order (PO)
e. Linking of incoming purchase order with outward shipment to establish audit trail.
f. Colour Coded Order checklist option - To enable the supply chain partners and brands to keep a tab on pending actions pertaining to any order, a color coded checklist has been provided in real-time. This mechanism helps them navigate the requirements on the platform efficiently. A new order is red until it is forward linked when it becomes yellow. The shipment completion turns this into a green colored status which means all necessary actions are complete for this given supply chain partner.
g. Remaining Stock option based on incoming Invoice numbers and subtracted from linked orders. All incoming shipments are stored in stock and are adjusted against outgoing shipments, as and when they are made. The users can keep a real-time track of available stock.
h. Colour coding showing fulfillment of placed orders/shipment is received for placed orders
i. Option for Bulk Upload of Orders to save on time. There is a bulk data upload method available for users which enables them to save time for information upload. In a .csv format available on the platform, users can prepare datasheet which when uploaded fills up data in the appropriate fields by itself.
j. Auto generation of PO for shipments made without any incoming purchase order. It is possible to make shipments without an actual PO being placed – this happens through an auto generated PO that can later be replaced by an actual PO number. This ensures that chain doesn’t break in case a supply chain partner has not been able to add information on time.
k. Unique & Auto QR code generation with each and every new order generated by Brand.
l. Configuration of data to be displayed post QR code scanning. This feature allows brands to pick and choose which details they want to be displayed (on the GeoMap) to the end consumers on scanning of the QR code.
m. Uniformity of data related to company name & product name due to admin control. In an example, Sri Cheran Synthetics India Pvt Ltd may remain same without any uppercase/lowercase/fullstop/fullforms/shortforms etc.
n. Geolocation based tracking of material flow
o. Completely downloadable Audit Trail in pdf format showing one complete transaction under one QR code with mass balancing
p. Linking of stock with deduction in available quantity
q. Option to Upload QA document (Test Report) to take pass / fail decision about goods being shipped
r. Business Intelligence tool comprising of Orders
s. Business Intelligence tool comprising of Shipments
t. Business Intelligence tool comprising of Stock

[025] FIG. 2 illustrates two-way provenance tracking wherein the purchase orders can be tracked up the value chain from the textile brands/retailers to the raw material source through the manufacturing value chain. The supply chain is formed of a manufacturer of fibers, a manufacturer of yarn, a manufacturer of fabric, and a manufacturer of end product. An example of manufacturer of end product is textile brand/retailer. An example of manufacturer of fibers is Birla cellulose (BC). The manufacturers of yarn and fabric are intermediaries. The two-way provenance tracking includes purchase order (PO) tracking up the value chain from textile brand to manufacturer of fibers, and material delivery and invoice tracking down the value chain from the manufacturer of fibers to textile brand/retailer. The PO and material delivery and invoice tracking can be performed at each stage of the supply chain with the help of unique identification code, which is generated when brand order is created on the system. The unique identification code is generated once when the brand/retailer/buying-house order is created and then the unique identification code remains the same for the entire chain of orders and shipments.
[026] The material delivery and invoice tracking also traces the flow of material from the manufacturing companies to the textile brands/retailers. This not only leads to more transparency but also helps in a complete audit trail being carried out on a real time basis.
[027] Moreover, for real time data flow traceability, blockchain in the present invention is developed via three-fold linking. Linking is done across adjacent blocks in purchase order trail as well as material delivery trail. Additionally, linking is done between corresponding orders and shipments as well. This enables real time mapping of material flow vis-à-vis requirements raised and commensurate input/output management on the production machines. This 3-fold linking supports real-time tracking of orders and shipments in case of ‘one to many’ flow or ‘many to one’ flow. In case of job work, participation of integrated players or non-value adding players (like traders) in any part of the value chain, real time tracking ensures sanctity of information, notwithstanding however many nodes are present in the chain.
[028] In an example of 3 fold linking, a hypothetical shipment with invoice number ‘SHP1’ gets linked to the following on the platform:
(a) Incoming Raw Material shipment with invoice number ‘SHP0’ (b) Shipment ‘SHP2’ made by the buyer of material under ‘SHP1’ (c) Order with PO number ‘PO1’ against which shipment ‘SHP1’ has been made.
[029] In an embodiment, in case of blending at any stage of production (fibre, yarn, fabric), the present system works in isolation for any type of material or as integrated streams of information for respective materials. ‘One to many to one’ feature of two-way provenance tracking is key to maintaining separate trails of information on the same ledger.
[030] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing real time traceability of data flow across the supply chain, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[031] At step 302, a user interface is provided on a computing device of manufacturer so as to enable the manufacturer to raise a request for a textile material, the request comprising information regarding a purchase order of the textile material.
[032] At step 304, one or more suppliers are informed regarding the request.
[033] At step 306, one or more updates are received from one or more suppliers regarding availability of the textile material through a user interface executing on corresponding computing devices.
[034] At step 308, a unique authentication code is assigned to the textile material when a supplier provides a confirmation regarding availability of the textile material and a purchase order is completed.
[035] At step 310, a user interface is provided on a computing device of a customer, wherein the user interface enables the customer to scan and verify the unique authentication code for tracing the movement of the textile material throughout the supply chain.
[036] At step 312, details of each verification and transaction are stored throughout the supply chain using blockchain technology.
[037] FIG. 4 is a flowchart 400 illustrating a method for providing real time traceability of data flow across the supply chain in detail, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
[038] At step 402, a user interface is provided on a computing device of a manufacturer so as to enable the manufacturer to raise a request for a textile material. The user interface pertains to a portal of a blockchain server that may execute on computing devices of various entities of the supply chain. In an example, a VC partner (requestor) initiates a blockchain by placing an order on another VC partner (his supplier) for the textile material. The order can be placed either directly on the portal of the blockchain server, via a bulk excel upload or through API integration between Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs) of the company and the blockchain server.
[039] At step 404, the one or more suppliers are informed regarding the request. In an example, the data is fed into blockchain server, and notifications are sent to all involved parties including a VC partner placing the order and a VC partner receiving the order.
[040] At step 406, it is checked if the stock of the requested textile material is available. If the material requested is not in stock, the requestor may check another supplier down the supply chain. If material requested is in stock, then at step 408, a shipment may be made to the requestor and data is updated in the portal of the blockchain server. The shipment sent may or may not meet a previous order received by the requestor. In an example, the process of order placement continues up till the order reaches GIL Birla Cellulose who provide the fiber for this value chain. The data of pulp and forestry may also be added to the blockchain server for order traceability. In an example, the supplier initiates shipment of material to his customer by linking the order number received by him. The shipment details may be updated directly on the portal, via a bulk excel upload or through API integration between ERPs of the company and the portal server. The data is fed into the blockchain solution, and notifications are sent to all involved parties - VC partner making the shipment and VC partner receiving the shipment.
[041] At step 410, a unique identification code (UIC) is generated for the shipment and the supplier and customers are notified regarding the same.
[042] At step 412, a quality certificate is auto-generated for the customer’s reference when the customer accepts the shipment. In case the customer does not reject/partially accept the order, the rejected material does not appear in the customer’s stock.
[043] At step 414, the UIC is being used with order and shipment details on hangtags for consumers when the shipment is received by a textile retailer. At step 416, the UIC may be scanned through a computing device to view entire supply chain traceability.
[044] At step 418, the shipped material is added to stock of customer when the shipment is not received by the textile retailer. In an example, when the shipment is made to a VC partner, not a brand, the material shipped gets added into the stock of that user.
[045] The foregoing description of the invention has been set merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since the modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to the person skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the disclosure.
,CLAIMS:We claim:

1. A blockchain based system for data traceability in a supply chain in a textile industry, the blockchain based system comprising:
a blockchain based portal server configured to:
provide a user interface on a computing device of manufacturer so as to enable the manufacturer to raise a request for a textile material, the request comprising information regarding a purchase order of the textile material;
inform one or more suppliers regarding the request;
receive updates from one or more suppliers regarding availability of the textile material through a user interface executing on corresponding computing devices;
assign a unique authentication code to the textile material when a supplier provides a confirmation regarding availability of the textile material and a purchase order is completed;
provide a user interface on a computing device of a customer, wherein the user interface enables the customer to scan and verify the unique authentication code for tracing the movement of the textile material throughout the supply chain; and
store details of each verification and transaction throughout the supply chain in a distributed ledger using blockchain technology.

2. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unique authentication code includes a QR code that is imprinted on a product formed from the textile material to demonstrate authentication of the product to the customer.

3. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a non-reactive additive is added to the textile material at an early stage of the production in the supply chain to prevent cross contamination and adulteration of the textile material.

4. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the non-reactive additive is verified using at least one of: laboratory techniques and the user computing device.

5. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blockchain based portal server is configured to validate each input detail provided by one or more partners of the supply chain using blockchain technology.

6. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blockchain based portal server is configured to perform a two-way provenance tracking in the supply chain, wherein the two-way provenance tracking includes a purchase order tracking up the supply chain from textile brand to raw material manufacturer, and material delivery and invoice tracking down the supply chain from the raw material manufacturer to textile brand.

7. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blockchain based portal server is configured to link one or more orders and shipments to enable real-time mapping of material flow and requirements in the supply chain.

8. A blockchain based method for data traceability in a supply chain in a textile industry, the blockchain based method comprising:
providing a user interface on a computing device of manufacturer so as to enable the manufacturer to raise a request for a textile material, the request comprising information regarding a purchase order of the textile material;
informing one or more suppliers regarding the request;
receiving updates from one or more suppliers regarding availability of the textile material through a user interface executing on corresponding computing devices;
assigning a unique authentication code to the textile material when a supplier provides a confirmation regarding availability of the textile material and a purchase order is completed;
providing a user interface on a computing device of a customer, wherein the user interface enables the customer to scan and verify the unique authentication code for tracing the movement of the textile material throughout the supply chain; and
storing details of each verification and transaction throughout the supply chain using blockchain technology.

9. The blockchain based method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the unique authentication code includes a QR code that is imprinted on a product formed from the textile material to demonstrate authentication of the product to the customer.

10. The blockchain based method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:
adding a non-reactive additive to the textile material at an early stage of the production in the supply chain to prevent cross contamination and adulteration of the textile material; and
verifying the non-reactive additive using at least one of: laboratory techniques and the user computing device.

11. The blockchain based method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising validating each input detail provided by one or more partners of the supply chain using blockchain technology.

12. The blockchain based method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising perform a two-way provenance tracking in the supply chain, wherein the two-way provenance tracking includes a purchase order tracking up the supply chain from textile brand to raw material manufacturer, and material delivery and invoice tracking down the supply chain from the raw material manufacturer to textile brand.

13. The blockchain based system as claimed in claim 8 further comprising linking one or more orders and shipments to enable real-time mapping of material flow and requirements in the supply chain.