In my previous blog, “The Blockchain Impact: How It Will Change Your B2B Network” I examined the potential for distributed ledger technologies to elevate B2B networks and provide greater shared visibility across supply chains.

As mentioned, by using blockchain within a B2B network, events representing the exchange of documents could be recorded on a shared ledger – along with new kinds of supplemental events, including those produced by third-party IoT and smart devices. This can and likely will be accomplished by building upon, rather than replacing, technologies and systems that are used today. We envision blockchain, that is, providing a shared visibility overlay.

This “blockchain for B2B networks” can be enabled by a B2B network solution provider – in Gartner’s terminology a B2B integration brokerage – who decides to deploy a blockchain technology stack, such as the open-source Hyperledger, as a new component of the solution provider’s platform, and enabling an integration interface between existing B2B information flows with the blockchain ledger.