A Blockchain Model for Less Container Load Operations in China

Literature Review

The LCL business can hardly be considered as a technological innovation but, at the same time, it does involve several aspects related to clustering processes. The advancement of LCL business will require involving upgrading current infrastructure, by using advanced carrier or cargo handling technologies, and automating the business processes (Xu, 2015). Therefore, in the deployment of LCL business, multiple skills and approaches are pre-requites for the success of such large-scale implementations. This will result in building a logistics cluster where the different actors will interact directly. It is common that consortiums are established for such projects or development initiatives, which later may turn into an industry cluster where organizations from associated industries and the surrounding communities are represented (Yossi, 2012).

Rapid developments in international trade in China have driven many managers to focus on the role of logistics and specifically on the use of IT to streamline its supply chain. One popular notion as suggested by the following stream of research argues that IT supports logistical integration through free flow of critical information, and thus increases operational efficiency and customer responsiveness (Xu, 2015; Navin Lee et al., 2013).