<div dir="ltr">Hello<div><br></div><div>Can you please forward the following to the logprofs list?</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>SR</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">Dear Colleagues:</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">As you may
be aware, the <i>Journal of Business Logistics</i> (i.e., JBL) has issued a call for a
special topic forum (STF) titled <i>Blockchain Applications in the Supply
Chain</i>. We anticipate that this STF will be received with a lot of interest
among the academic and practitioner community. The official call is appended
below. As you can see, the focus is on practical applications of Blockchain
with special interest given to managerial contributions. Each paper will,
therefore, be reviewed by at least one practitioner with experience/expertise
in Blockchain.</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">As part of
the preparation for this STF, we are excited to announce that we will
soon be <b>hosting a webinar</b> moderated by the guest
editors, which will feature speakers from industry. One of the STF guest
editors from industry (i.e., Yorke Rhodes - Microsoft) will be sharing insights
from the field and will discuss issues that may be of particular interest for
prospective contributors to the STF. </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">We hereby
request your participation at the webinars, the times of which will be
announced shortly. Subsequent to the event, the recording will also be
made available for those who are unable to attend live. </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">At this
time, we request you to please submit any questions that you may want addressed
in the webinar, either from the standpoint of an<i> Introduction to
Blockchain</i>, or the STF itself. Please email these to the STF co-editor
Shashank Rao (</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(33,33,33);background:white"><a href="mailto:shashank.rao@auburn.edu" target="_blank" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">shashank.rao@auburn.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">) by <b>Friday, March 2</b>. We
will do our best to include as many of these questions in the
webinar. <b><u>The window for paper submissions is March 1 THROUGH
September 1</u></b>. Papers will be processed as they are received.</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">We thank
you for your cooperation, and look forward to your participation. </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">Best
regards,</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white">Tom &
Walter<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;background:white"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:30pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LOGISTICS<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:6pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">CALL FOR PAPERS: SPECIAL TOPICS FORUM<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:26pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face",serif"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:26pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face",serif">Blockchain:</span><span style="font-size:22pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face",serif">
<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face",serif">Applications and Strategies for
Supply Chain Research and Practice</span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face",serif"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Few technological developments
in the past two decades have intrigued Supply Chain and Logistics (SC&L)
managers as much as Blockchain. In fact, some have called it the most important
invention since the Internet itself. Several articles have appeared recently in
the popular press (e.g., <i>Harvard Business
Review</i>, <i>Forbes,</i> and the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>) discussing the
potential of Blockchain in the management of SC&L. Similarly, leading
companies known for supply chain excellence (e.g., WalMart, Toyota) have been
testing Blockchain applications, and major IT companies (e.g., Microsoft, IBM,
Deloitte) have either developed or are in the process of developing product
offerings that can help companies implement Blockchain across their supply
chains. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">At its heart, a Blockchain is
a distributed database of records (a public ledger of sorts), that represents
all transactions or digital events that have been executed and shared among
participating parties. Once entered into the Blockchain, the information cannot
be deleted / erased. By extension, the Blockchain for a product shall contain a
definite and verifiable record of <i>every
single transaction</i> ever made in the life of the product. Consider for
example, the Blockchain pilot currently being considered by WalMart, regarding
pork traceability through production, distribution, and retail. By making the
pork vendors participants in the Blockchain, WalMart aims to create a “chain”
of transactional information, wherein each link in the chain is a “block” (e.g.
how the animal was raised, its processing and handling, and its journey through
the supply chain). Given the data is logged in a distributed ledger, no single
user / entity is able to unilaterally delete it. However, many users may
access, inspect, or even add additional blocks to the data. The end result is a
high level of transparency, accountability, and visibility. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Despite the tremendous
promises of Blockchain technology in the Supply Chain, several challenges
remain. To start with, given the relative newness of the technology itself,
SC&L managers are still looking for areas where Blockchain can provide the
most value. SC&L scholars therefore, have a unique opportunity to serve as
thought leaders in this area, by laying the groundwork for managerial
understanding, and also setting the course that SC&L Blockchain practice
takes in the coming decades. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">This STF will solicit
manuscripts emphasizing all methodologies, including empirical (primary as well
as secondary / archival), qualitative (inductive as well as deductive),
simulation, and analytical modeling. In addition, given the relative newness of
the focal research area, solid conceptual manuscripts that lay out the agenda
for subsequent practice are also welcomed. The major topics of interest
include, but are not limited to:<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Blockchain
applications in manufacturing, retail, and services including banking and
finance. For example, the value of authenticity in multi-ingredient supply
chains (e.g., food manufacturing and distribution), and Blockchain’s ability to
assist in this regard.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Blockchain
applications in product tracing (e.g., product safety, supply chain visibility,
transparency, etc.)<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Investigations
into the most common sensors in use in today’s supply chain (e.g., GPS, Smart
labels, etc.). How are they being used and what are gaps in their application?
How can / cannot Blockchain fill these gaps?<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">What are
stack ranked scenarios where there are contractual disputes or satisfaction
issues between supply chain partners today and what are the contributing
factors? How can Blockchain help with these challenges?<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Critical
success factors germane to Blockchain – for example, how open are supply chain
participants to sharing data (a key ingredient of Blockchain success)? What
insights / types of visibility into the supply chain do channel partners want
today but cannot get?<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Blockchain
in procurement (e.g., ethical sourcing)<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Use of
ledgers in Blockchain<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Blockchain
for public services and non-profit<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Product
safety monitoring, anti-counterfeiting, stolen merchandise recovery, and
general fraud prevention with Blockchain<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Interface of
Blockchain with other supply chain technologies (e.g., RFID, ERP, etc.) and
other aspects of the supply chain, and technology constraints companies
encounter when evaluating Blockchain.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.45in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span>·<span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Case studies
of Blockchain implementation in the supply chain, broadly defined (successes,
failures, startups, etc.) <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">All manuscripts submitted to
the STF will go through <i>JBL’s </i>double-blind review process. <u>Given the
strong managerial leaning of Blockchain, authors can also expect that every
manuscript will receive at least one review from a high-ranking industry
executive currently working on Blockchain</u>. The industry review will focus
on the managerial contributions of the manuscript, its value to industry, and
the feasibility of the recommendations. Therefore, a solid managerial
implications section is expected for every submitted manuscript.</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"> <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Submissions will be accepted
between March 1, 2018 and September 1, 2018. Please submit your paper via
Manuscript Central and note that it is a special topic forum submission. You
can learn more by e-mailing the guest editor at</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="mailto:shashank.rao@auburn.edu" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">shashank.rao@auburn.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">, or the other STF editorial
team members at </span><a href="mailto:senthil@auburn.edu" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">senthil@auburn.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">, </span><a href="mailto:jpatton@auburn.edu" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">jpatton@auburn.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">, or </span><a href="mailto:yorkerhodes@microsoft.com" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">yorkerhodes@microsoft.com</span></a><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">.</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<br></div></div>