How Blockchain Technology Help Handicraft Market

by Fauzan Anandika

The creative industry becomes a significant part of this millennium economy. When many other industries become automated and start using robots, the human worker threatened because of work shifting from handwork to robotic. Technological development makes everything easier on one side but raises the unemployment number. People who in the working-age need to think of a way on how they overcome this situation, and using their creative side is one of the best solutions.

Tourism takes a big part in the economy of the countries in Southeast Asia. They have various cultures and traditions presented to the world. When visiting a tourist attraction, there are usually souvenir stalls that sell authentic gifts from that place. They sell many items like handicraft, traditional food, t-shirt and many more. People buy this gift because of its unique design, material, and have relation to the place. Making handicrafts and sell it could create another income stream while still do their daytime job regarding the effort to create a unique product, creative ideas prone to piracy. Uploaded product images can be a source of duplication. Sending handicrafts to a buyer or getting specific material from a supplier can be troublesome for the small creative industry. Handling the logistic issue is where blockchain technology takes part.

In the creative industry, blockchain plays a role in creating efficient material and product distribution. In the logistics sector, blockchain technology has become a new hope to reduce work time and cost. The cost-reducing will help small handicraft business to gain more profit and survive in the competitive world. Now they can get craft material cheaper and able to monitor the material shipment. Knowing the shipment schedule will also give assurance to their production process and indirectly affects their customer satisfaction. Knowing the detailed shipment process also prevent fraudulence in their supply chain. The supplier can’t deceive them by sending unsuitable material quality since everyone in the supply chain have the same record, the difference between the document and the cargo it will reject.

On the buyer side, they can order a specific product with a smaller number. Blockchain technology enables different kinds of items in one shipment container and creat flexibility in handicraft trading. This technology allows small handicraft businesses to participate in the global trade market. Blockchain technology also gives transaction security to ensure payment schedule, tracking product movement, accountability, and transparency in the trading process. Trust is the main factor in trading. Without trusting each other, it’s hard to make a transaction.

Craftsmanship will be a valuable high payment skill because it involving emotion and highly aesthetic. Like painting, handicrafts can be sold at high prices since it also an art product. In the Southeast, Asia handicrafts become one of the economic crutches. These regions have millions of craftsmen and more than billions of dollar export value. Unfortunately, most of the craftsmen don’t apply for their product patent. They will easily remove by the buyer and change with a cheaper seller. Using blockchain technology for art products can’t be avoided. An uploaded image, text, and video can be saved on the blockchain ledger and traced to the production time. The Blockchain system collects and saving imagery and data registry and decentralizes to prevent copyright works stolen.