Use Case Repository Project

Hi All, please add your email addresses, and start to edit wiki/define the scope/description, etc for this. For example, one thing to nail down would be how to describe each use case consistently - name, industry, problem, solution, result, example companies doing this (if public). Decide who will lead this project, and have a call to discuss the scope and kick off the project. Thank you for your interest!

My email: Marco.Carvalho@rsmus.com

Storage: Google Docs?

Output: PPTX, PDF

Thanks, Marco. Output format sounds good. I am sure everyone has a set of use cases to share and make a nice collection. I'll share some public case studies from Oracle's customers as a start later this week. Others are requested to do the same in their context.  

We can use google docs for collaborative editing of docs - although Wiki is a perfect solution for that  as well, and we can keep everything native.  Wiki also provides storage/upload of files, and versions the file automatically. 

Marco, all: How about we start as follows with collecting the use case information - please comment and suggest changes to this. 

We each create Word Doc with use cases to capture thoughts without too much contraint. Each use case may follow a similar format. Here are some suggested fields to consider in each use case. Please discuss and decide on the fields and what should go in each field. Let's collaborate and nail this down. 

The purpose of this exercise is to serve as an educational resource for others in the community who are trying to implement a similar use case. Therefore we will avoid mentioning the name of the company or its logo to avoid requiring consent and legal approvals from those companies, which will cause unnecessary delay. Instead, we can go with a description like "A large pharma company" or "A mid-size retailer" to describe the company and keep the details anonymized. 

• Use Case Title
• Background: 1-2 paragraphs  (anything that helps understand the problem better e.g. industry, consortium players involved, rising circumstances, statistics)
• Problem: 1-2 paragraphs (crisp problem definition)
• Approach: 1-2 paragraphs (e.g. why blockchain is the best solution, not DB/traditional techniques, why hyperledger fabric over public blockchain, what problem does blockchain aim to solve e.g. trust/transparency/auditability/all the above? all this is optional, and only if this information is readily available)
• Solution: 1-3 paragraphs describing the solution with hyperledger fabric, diagram/pictures if available of reference architecture or solution diagram. 
• Result: 1-2 paragraphs with quantified business and/or technical benefits, or even qualitative benefits. 

Circulor use case for Blockchain built with Hyperledger Fabric

Supply chain traceability, from mine to manufacturer

Approach:  UK company Circulor created a unique supply chain traceability system that uses  scanners, sensors, and weigh scales to generate reliable data at each step of the supply chain from mines to manufacturer for “conflict minerals.” 

Powered by a permissioned blockchain built on Hyperledger Fabric, the system developed by Circulor used facial recognition and QR codes to ensure that every bag of tantalum from Rwanda was mined, transported, and processed under approved conditions.   

Because the supply chain from the mines was complex, with multiple parties and touch points, a database systems of tracking the materials was not ideal. Blockchain was chosen as the ideal technology because of its ability to help achieve low-cost compliance with regulators and to reassure consumers.  One of the goals of Circulor’s blockchain based tracking system was to comply with OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) approved conditions, ensuring no child or slave labor.

Why Hyperledger Fabric for Blockchain?

We did a first proof of concept on Ethereum, because it was relatively easy to build,” says Douglas Johnson-Poensgen of Circulor. However, Ethereum’s slow transaction speeds and unpredictable costs—driven by the changing price of “gas”—were not ideal for corporate clients.

His team evaluated R3’s Corda as well. “My view is that Corda was obviously developed for financial services,” he says, so it wasn’t a good fit either.

“We had to convince mining firms, chemical refiners in China, and consumer electronics companies in California that this was the right platform. So we needed a demonstrably cross-industry solution, not something three PhD students came up with in their garage.”

“Our system provides both chain of custody and tracing of materials,” says “Hyperledger Fabric has a reputation as an enterprise-class platform,” notes Johnson-Poensgen. “In all the business conversations we’ve had, nobody has ever questioned our choice of blockchain platform.”

On top of Hyperledger Fabric, Circulor built an enterprise application with two interfaces:

The mobile apps for checking IDs, scanning QR codes at checkpoints, and downloading required documents

The desktop version that runs in corporate offices to provide supply chain visibility and answers to queries.  The aim is to use blockchain technology to drive out costs as well as dramatically improve traceability.

This means manufacturers like Apple and HP will finally have all the proof they need to report to regulators with confidence and to label their products “conflict-free” for consumers.

Solution: Circulor developed a platform (powered by Oracle Blockchain Platform) to track raw materials in the electronics and electric vehicle supply chain from the mine to the finished product and then to recycling, enabling manufacturers to prove that they source raw materials ethically and sustainably.

Circulor created a distributed permissioned ledger based on Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric architecture where smart contracts verify the chain of custody, chain of ownership, and chain of provenance of minerals before these records are committed to the ledger—while participants have transparent access to all the shared data they are authorized to see via effective access controls in the permissioned Oracle Blockchain Platform. 

Result: Circulor's blockchain-based system to trace tantalum went live in three mines and an ore-sorting facility in Rwanda in fall 2018. “We’re getting an awful lot of traceability for very little extra work,” says Ray Power, CEO of Power Resources Group, which operates the mines. The system is designed to slash today’s high cost for compliance, satisfy regulators, reassure consumers, and build revenues for Rwanda.

Meeting notes from 6/20 discussion: 

Use Case Repository:

• Mark and Jay to create a wiki based structure that we can use to define each use case.
• Everyone writes editable use cases (sample will be posted) on wiki for collaborative editing
• Create categories for use cases - by industry - retail, food, pharma, discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, logistics, etc. 

I'd like to participate in the project - is it still running?

Yes!