12.12.2023 | Three Contributions at ACIS 2023

The Chair of Application Systems and E-Business is represented with three contributions at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS 2023):



Christian Finke presents the contribution:
"Design and Implementation of a Distributed Ledger Technology Platform to Support Customs Processes within Supply Chains"



Abstract: In international trade, customs clearance fulfills complex and country-specific tasks in the execution of supply chain processes. Importers and exporters have to integrate customs authorities into the information flow, as customs authorities require information, e.g., on the bill of lading and the commercial invoice apart from the customs declaration. In addition, involved sub-service providers increase the problem of information asymmetry and the required coordination effort. Practice and research consider Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) as a potential solution since this technology maintains a mutually agreed and secure database of value-creation partners. However, research has hardly investigated the design of such DLT systems. Therefore, we present a requirements catalogue, a concept, and a prototype of a DLT platform to address the outlined problem of information asymmetry, especially with a focus on customs processes.



Christian Finke presents the contribution:
"Why do Distributed Ledger Platforms Fail? Analyzing the Challenges of Distributed Ledger Technologies in Supply Chain Processes"



Abstract: As globalization and networking requirements increase, the digitalization of value-creation processes, particularly in supply chain (SC) activities, becomes crucial. While Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) offer potential solutions by enhancing transparency and immutability, concerns arise from recent failures and insolvencies of companies providing DLT solutions for SC processes. Due to companies' hesitation to communicate negative business outcomes and selective reporting in practical journals, there is a lack of comprehensive data for critical reflection on the use of DLT in SCs for research and practice. This research aims to identify challenges in adopting DLT in SCs by integrating scientific insights and failed companies' experiences. We provide an overview of failed platforms in SC processes, offering a first entry into this research perspective. Additionally, we analyse these failed DLT companies and discuss the results afterwards. Furthermore, we derive recommendations for action in research and practice concerning a critical reflection of DLT adoption.



Michael Groth presents the contribution:
"Design of a Reference Architecture for Production Scheduling Applications based on a Problem Representation including Practical Constraints"



Abstract: Changing customer demands increase the complexity and importance of production scheduling, requiring better scheduling algorithms, e.g., machine learning algorithms. At the same time, current research often neglects practical constraints, e.g., changeovers or transportation. To address this issue, we derive a representation of the scheduling problem and develop a reference architecture for future scheduling applications to increase the impact of future research. To achieve this goal, we apply a design science research approach and, first, rigorously identify the problem and derive requirements for a scheduling application based on a structured literature review. Then, we develop the problem representation and reference architecture as design science artifacts. Finally, we demonstrate the artifacts in an application scenario and publish the resulting prototypical scheduling application, enabling machine learning-based scheduling algorithms, for usage in future development projects. Our results guide future research into including practical constraints and provide practitioners with a framework for developing scheduling applications.