ERP Transaction Integrity Management Using Blockchain

Abstract

SecureERP is a centralized Oracle-based ERP system, and emerged as a single source of truth for many allied organizations within its network. Presently, traditional approach, such as, Service-Oriented-Architecture (SOA) and emails are used for data sharing among these organizations. Major ERP giants like Oracle, SAP, and Microsoft offer standardized functionality (providing pre-developed processes), while discouraging customization in the developed processes. However, there are use-cases, where organization has to deviate from standardized processes in order to meets its specific requirements. For example, in our usecase, extensive customization has been implemented in Oracle Enterprise Business Suite (eBS) during the deployment of SecureERP. This customization has inadvertently introduced vulnerabilities, and raises concerns regarding transaction integrity and stakeholders’ trust. The risk of single points of failure in the SecureERP system is effectively mitigated by establishing Disaster Recovery (DR) sites; however, ensuring transaction integrity is still a top concern. In this paper, we propose an architecture and framework, which seamlessly integrate Hyperledger Fabric (a Permissioned Blockchain) with SecureERP system to ensure transaction integrity and security. Our model uses a Raft-based consensus mechanism, which is more efficient compared to PoET, Kafka, ZKP (Zero-Knowledge Proof) and Proof of Work (PoW). Our proposed model is validated by conducting a Proof-of-Concept (POC) using relevant technologies.