Documents flow digitization in the supply chains

Abstract

The globalization of markets has resulted in the need to develop supply chains and ensure efficient connections between entities in various remote locations. The dissemination of information technologies has made it possible to increase the excellence of the supply chain, responding to the needs arising from globalization and thus influencing the efficiency of the processes carried out by optimizing the use of resources and implementing new management strategies. Information transfer between its links significantly impacts the supply chain's reliability, safety, and costs of material flow. The introduction of electronic communication significantly accelerated and facilitated the transfer of information and, in some areas, made it possible to abandon traditional paper documentation. Modern digital technologies such as blockchain have the potential to eliminate paper documentation while increasing the security and certainty of the transferred data. This article analyzes the current flow of information and documents in the supply chain. The article presents the characteristics of the supply chain operation in terms of the flow of information accompanying the flow of cargo and the digitization of document circulation in the digital supply chain in the context of using electronic data interchange (EDI) or blockchain. The ELECTRA tool was presented concerning the discussed area, which is being developed as part of the ongoing project (Electronic Waybill for Combined Transport and Forwarding) in the EUREKA initiative, financed by the National Center for Research and Development. This tool combines the latest technological solutions to improve the flow of transport documents. The article ended with a summary, pointing to the potential of using modern solutions and the lack of technological barriers. However, the existing legislative barriers were emphasized.