Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

4-2026

Abstract

Typically, a firm's objectives include establishing consumer confidence, preserving its brand image, and developing a profitable business strategy. Consumers now place greater emphasis on the sustainability and transparency of their purchases. Given environmental and economic limitations, firms are often compelled to implement sustainable production methods. This is especially a struggle for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with new technology, as it can increase their risk of failure. This has led to a problem for consumers, who must cross-check the sustainability-related claims of the firms they buy from. This is challenging because of limited process trace data and restricted enforcement capabilities. This study expands the knowledge of product sustainability and transparency. It aids our understanding of how SMEs develop prototypes and pilot solutions using blockchain and the Internet of Things. To fulfill this aim, we discuss the experiences of three SMEs in two design domains: home decor and fashion goods. During the prototype and pilot phases, we used an iterative approach to match the firms' solution specifications and ensured that they did not replace but instead complemented the SME's legacy systems. Our pilot solutions supported SMEs to achieve their desired sustainability goals. Users could see the amount of recycled plastic used and the total CO2 reduction after scanning a quick response (QR) code. Upon scanning a QR code for a particular item, its origins and associated geographical details are displayed. The implementation of transparency involved monitoring the mobile application's popularity, where more than 10,000 clicks were documented for each product upon its introduction.

Keywords

Blockchain, IoT, Sustainability, Transparency

Discipline

Databases and Information Systems

Research Areas

Information Systems and Management

Publication

Blockchain: Research and Applications

Volume

7

Issue

2

First Page

1

Last Page

17

ISSN

2096-7209

Identifier

10.1016/j.bcra.2025.100330

Publisher

Elsevier

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcra.2025.100330

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