Project Overview

British Telecommunications plc (BT), a leader in global telecommunications, faces a dynamic challenge in managing its inventory, crucial for maintaining its international reputation and operational success. As assets and tariffs continuously evolve, the complexity of managing such a vast inventory grows, driven by emerging services like IoT and Edge technologies. This project, a collaboration between the University of Technology, Sydney, and British Telecommunications plc, seeks to address these challenges through innovative Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), particularly blockchain.

The Challenge of Real-Time Inventory Management

Managing the diverse and globally deployed inventory of BT is complicated by unreliable data, conflicting information, and the intricacies of international operations. Legacy systems, unable to meet the demands of real-time operations, lead to inefficiencies and disputes. The introduction of blockchain aims to provide a scalable, single truth view of inventory, optimizing costs and managing Service Level Agreements (SLAs) more effectively.

Blockchain as a Solution

Blockchain technology offers a decentralized framework where transaction ledgers are mutually maintained, trusted, and updated by all participants without the need for a central authority. This project will leverage blockchain to facilitate real-time data collection on network equipment status, establishing a decentralized, intelligent inventory management system. Additionally, the project will explore the potential of smart contracts to automate and enforce SLAs consistently and efficiently across different stakeholders.

Aims and Objectives

The main goal is to develop a blockchain platform that enables distributed trust and real-time management of BT’s global inventory without a central trust authority. Initial phases will focus on developing and integrating proof-of-concepts (PoCs) with existing systems to replace outdated legacy systems and enhance scalability, privacy, and security.

Expected Impact and Innovations

The successful implementation of this project is expected to significantly advance the telecommunications industry by improving the reliability and security of inventory management systems. This will not only benefit BT but also set a benchmark for the industry. The integration of smart contracts is poised to revolutionize SLA management, making it more scalable, reliable, and automated.

Conclusion

This ambitious project stands to transform the way telecommunications industries manage their inventory and SLAs, introducing a new era of efficiency and reliability with the help of blockchain technology. As we move forward, the continued collaboration and research will likely yield significant advancements in network information theories and practical applications, greatly benefiting the global telecommunications landscape.

Research Project: Blockchain enabled inventory management – A Pilot Project; funded by BT Australasia Pty Ltd