RE: 3M Validation Page

In my mind, supply chain provenance suffers from two key problems: enticing participants to take on the extra effort required to participate in the system, and ensuring the suppliers are honest in using the system. The first issue can be addressed with contractual or legal requirements. I imagine there might be a few businesses or industry segments out there that see a strategic advantage to being part of a verifiable supply chain and seek out systems to participate in, but mostly I would think this is something that would be imposed upon them and not without direct or indirect compensation. The second problem is more challenging. If a supplier has integrity and a good reputation then their mark stands for something. On the other hand if a supplier’s operation has not risen to that level, then external audits, or certifications by some organization that has a sterling reputation must be invoked. For the lux goods example, this might mean industry standards organizations but might also have to be the brand itself, meaning they might need to be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the entire chain (think Starbucks coffee provenance system). Do trusted governance ecosystems ensuring material and manufacturing quality need to exist at each stage of the supply chain before a brand can promote provenance in a meaningful way, even before VC’s come into play? Can / should a brand take on some of the missing pieces? If the assembly factory is awesome but the tannery that supplies the leather is less so, is that still OK as far as the brand is concerned?

 

From the brand and consumer perspective there is clear and direct value-add. Bootstrapping and sustaining the other participants is more of a challenge.

 

Others in this group have thought about supply chain much more deeply than I have and I’d be interested in differing perspectives.

 

-S 

 

From: Moses Ma <moses.ma@futurelabconsulting.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2020 10:59 PM
To: W3C Credentials CG <public-credentials@w3.org>
Subject: Re: 3M Validation Page

 

Wayne Chang's post :

On 6/10/20 4:30 PM, Wayne Chang wrote:

This page lets you to "pull" credentials based on 3M identifiers printed on the product packaging: https://safeguard.3m.com/Guest#/Validation - I think it's an interesting exhibit as we explore the right roles for VCs across e-commerce and battling counterfeit goods.

... got me thinking.

The luxury fashion brand Alyx is piloting a blockchain using QR codes to display where materials were sourced, where manufacturing took place and where the product was shipped to. And the luxury brand conglomerate LVMH has partnered with ConsenSys and Microsoft to create the traceability platform called AURA where details of a particular item can be checked to confirm its authenticity, confirming whether the item is genuine. This allows them to combat grey goods, and can theoretically assure ethical and sustainable manufacture.

Still I'm tired of thinking about COVID, I'm taking a break to daydream -- and wondering if vreifiable credentials could be used in the fashion industry?

So I have some questions...

 

1) Because the cost of transaction is relatively high, AURA is likely to remain the preserve of high-end luxury goods, where anti-counterfeiting is the primary use case. So this leads me to wonder... would a VC be cheaper than writing a record a blockchain? 

 

2) If these brands wish to create a more intimate connection the consumer, it might be smarter to do something like this: Imagine Beyonce's Ivy Park activewear line included a VC. Why? Because Beyonce has been attacked over social media for using Sri Lankan factories paying 2¢/hr for labor. A chain of VCs could theoretically verify a chain of ethical manufacture, and also ensure compliance with sustainability goals. Plus, that VC provides a one time pass to receive a free song, that is not available commercially. Would anyone be up to helping me think this through as a gedanken exercise to understand VCs better?

 

Anyway, something like this feels interesting to me, because it isn't the same old Alice/Bob in a supply chain example. Has anyone put thought into this sort of thing already?

 

Moses

 





 

 

-- 


Moses Ma | Managing Partner

moses.ma@futurelabconsulting.com <mailto:moses.ma@futurelabconsulting.com>  | moses@futurelab.ventures <mailto:moses@futurelab.ventures>  | moses@ngenven.com <mailto:moses@ngenven.com> 

v+1.415.568.1068 | skype mosesma |  <http://linktr.ee/moses.tao> linktr.ee/moses.tao

FutureLab provides strategy, ideation and technology for breakthrough innovation and third generation blockchains.

Learn more at  <http://futurelabconsulting.com> www.futurelabconsulting.com. For calendar invites, please cc: mosesma@gmail.com <mailto:mosesma@gmail.com> 

 

Or whet your appetite by reading  <http://www.amazon.com/Agile-Innovation-Revolutionary-Accelerate-Engagement/dp/B00SSRSZ9A> Agile Innovation |  <https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Design-Sprint-Application-Disruptive/dp/1799143864> Quantum Design Sprint | my blog at  <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-tao-innovation> psychologytoday.com. 

NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: THIS E-MAIL IS MEANT FOR ONLY THE INTENDED RECIPIENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. IF YOU RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL IN ERROR, ANY REVIEW, USE, DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION, OR COPYING OF THIS E-MAIL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. PLEASE NOTIFY THE SENDER IMMEDIATELY OF THE ERROR BY RETURN E-MAIL AND PLEASE DELETE THIS MESSAGE FROM YOUR SYSTEM. THIS EMAIL SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED BINDING; HARD COPY DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO CREATE LEGALLY BINDING COMMITMENTS. FOR CALENDAR INVITES, PLEASE CC: MOSESMA@GMAIL.COM <mailto:MOSESMA@GMAIL.COM>