On the Design and Implementation of a Blockchain-Based Data Management System for ETO Manufacturing

Engineer-to-order (ETO) is a currently popular production model that can meet customers’ individual needs, for which the orders are primarily non-standard parts or small batches. This production model has caused many management challenges, including the difficulty of tracing the production process data of products and the inability to monitor order status in real-time. In this paper, by analyzing the steps of ETO manufacturing and the business process between departments in the manufacturing industry, a blockchain-based process data management system (BPDMS) is proposed. The immutable nature of the blockchain data ensures the data’s validity and consistency in each production step. Furthermore, by embedding the sequential aggregate signature in the system, the sequence verification of discrete process steps can be completed in time. Finally, an electrical equipment assembly production platform is used to discuss the specific implementation on top of the Hyperledger Fabric, a permissioned blockchain. The experiment results show that the proposed system effectively manages the process data of ETO-type production, and the real-time querying of the production status of the orders.