Prioritizing requirements for implementing blockchain technology in construction supply chain based on circular economy: Fuzzy Ordinal Priority Approach

The synergy between Distributed Ledger Technologies, like blockchain technology and circular economy, can lead to economic, environmental, and social sustainability through protecting natural resources, optimizing processes, fostering system effectiveness, designing out waste, and also providing job opportunities. Nevertheless, industries and their supply chain need to consider several requirements for blockchain implementation to realize a circular economy. To achieve this goal, requirements for implementing blockchain technology in construction supply chain were prioritized based on circular economy attributes. For multiple-criteria decision analysis and making our preference decision, we employed the new-founded multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) method, the Fuzzy Ordinal Priority Approach (Fuzzy OPA). Under uncertainty conditions, this method can determine fuzzy weights of circular economy attributes and fuzzy scores of blockchain requirements using linguistic variables. The results obtained from the case study show that three high-ranked requirements for implementing blockchain are (1) developing circular economy attributes on platforms, (2) intra-organizational considerations, and (3) technological requirements and collaboration infrastructure. To discuss the circular economy, we used the ReSOLVE framework, consisting of six attributes Regenerate, Share, Optimize, Loop, Virtualize, and Exchange. According to research findings, blockchain implementation can move the construction industry toward a circular economy through (1) regenerating environment, (2) optimizing systems performance, and (3) looping and circulating products.

Automated summary

The synergy between blockchain technology and circular economy can achieve sustainable development in terms of economy, environment, and society. Prioritized requirements for implementing blockchain in the construction supply chain were determined using the Fuzzy Ordinal Priority Approach (Fuzzy OPA). The results emphasize the importance of developing circular economy attributes, considering intra-organizational factors, and meeting technological requirements and collaboration infrastructure.