Supply Chain Tracking FAQ
Everything you need to know about blockchain-verified product authenticity
The Basics
What is supply chain tracking and why does it matter?
Supply chain tracking monitors products as they move from manufacturer → distributor → retailer → customer. It matters because:
- Consumer demand: 73% of consumers say they'd pay more for products with complete transparency
- Counterfeit prevention: $4.2 trillion in counterfeit goods sold globally each year
- Regulatory compliance: Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires traceability
- Brand protection: One fake product can destroy years of brand trust
- ESG/Sustainability: Companies must prove ethical sourcing claims
What is BizTrack?
BizTrack is blockchain-powered supply chain tracking made affordable for small and medium businesses. We let you:
- Mint product records to the XRP Ledger (immutable, tamper-proof)
- Store unlimited product data on IPFS (decentralized storage)
- Generate QR codes for instant customer verification
- Prove authenticity without expensive enterprise software
Cost: $79-$249/month. Per-product cost: $0.00003 (yes, three hundred-thousandths of a penny).
How It Works
How does blockchain make this better than a regular database?
Regular databases can be edited. A company could mint a "2025 vintage" wine in 2026 and backdate it. Trust relies on trusting the company.
Blockchain is immutable. Once written to the XRP Ledger, it cannot be changed. Trust is built into the technology, not the company. The blockchain is public—anyone can verify without asking us.
Isn't blockchain expensive and slow?
Bitcoin/Ethereum: Yes, expensive ($5-50 per transaction) and slow (10+ minutes).
XRP Ledger (what we use): No. Transactions cost $0.00003 and settle in 3-5 seconds. We're using the right tool for the job.
Do my customers need to understand blockchain?
No! They scan a QR code and see product info. "Blockchain" is backend infrastructure—customers just see "Verified ✓"
It's like HTTPS encryption: users don't understand SSL certificates, they just see the lock icon and trust the site.
What if I want to update product information later?
You mint a new record with updated info. The blockchain history shows: original mint → update. Transparency means showing changes, not hiding them.
How BizTrack Compares
How are companies currently doing supply chain tracking?
1. Paper-based systems: Certificates, invoices. Problem: Easy to forge, data gets lost.
2. Centralized databases (SAP, Oracle): Cost $50K-$500K/year, requires IT team, one company controls all data.
3. QR codes → databases: Company can change the data after the fact, no proof of authenticity.
4. RFID tags: Expensive hardware ($1,000s), tracks location but doesn't prove authenticity.
5. Enterprise blockchain (IBM Food Trust, VeChain): Built for Fortune 500, costs $500K+, requires blockchain expertise.
How is BizTrack different?
| Feature | Traditional | Enterprise Blockchain | BizTrack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | $50K-$500K | $500K+ | $0 |
| Monthly cost | $5K-$50K | $10K+ | $79-$249 |
| Per-product | Varies | $0.10-$1.00 | $0.00003 |
| Setup time | 6-12 months | 12+ months | 5 minutes |
| Tech expertise | Yes (IT team) | Yes (blockchain devs) | No |
| Tamper-proof | No | Yes | Yes |
| SMB-friendly | No | No | Yes |
Who else is using blockchain for supply chain?
Big companies proving this technology works:
- Walmart + IBM Food Trust: Tracks food from farm to store, traces contaminated lettuce in 2 seconds (used to take 7 days)
- De Beers: Every diamond tracked on blockchain to prove ethical sourcing and prevent counterfeits
- Maersk + TradeLens: 10+ million shipping containers tracked, cuts paperwork from weeks to hours
- Nestlé: Tracks coffee beans and baby food, consumers scan QR to see entire journey
- LVMH (Louis Vuitton): AURA blockchain for luxury goods, fighting $450B counterfeit luxury market
BUT—these are enterprise solutions costing millions. BizTrack brings this to small businesses.
Who Needs BizTrack?
What types of businesses benefit most?
🔥 Craft/Artisan Producers
Coffee roasters, breweries, distilleries
Problem: "Single-origin" and "small-batch" claims are unverifiable
Solution: Prove bean origin, roast date, batch number on blockchain
🌱 Sustainable/Ethical Brands
Fashion, cosmetics, home goods
Problem: "Eco-friendly" and "ethical" are often greenwashing
Solution: Prove ethical sourcing, carbon neutrality, certifications
💎 Luxury Goods
Watches, jewelry, handbags, wine
Problem: Counterfeits everywhere, resale market lacks trust
Solution: Each product gets unique QR = instant authenticity proof
🥬 Organic/Specialty Food
Farm-to-table, grass-fed, organic certified
Problem: Trust issues, false "organic" claims
Solution: Track from farm through distribution with certifications
💊 Supplements/Nutraceuticals
Vitamins, protein powder, health products
Problem: Fake products, contamination, sketchy ingredients
Solution: Verify ingredients, manufacturing date, lab certifications
Common Questions
We're too small for this, right?
That's exactly WHY we built BizTrack. Enterprise solutions ignore businesses under $10M revenue. You can start minting products today for $79/month. Size doesn't matter—authenticity and transparency do.
How do I know YOU won't change the data?
We can't. That's the point of blockchain.
Your data lives on:
- XRPL (public ledger): Anyone can verify transactions, no one can edit them
- IPFS (decentralized storage): Data is distributed across thousands of nodes
Even if BizTrack shuts down tomorrow, your data persists on the blockchain and IPFS. We're just the interface—we don't control the data.
What if I make a mistake? Can I delete it?
No—and that's a feature, not a bug. Blockchain is permanent. However, you can:
- Mint a new record with corrected information
- The history shows: original → correction
- Transparency means showing changes, not hiding them
Think of it like email: once sent, you can't unsend it, but you can send a correction.
Do I need to buy cryptocurrency?
No. We handle all blockchain transactions. You pay us in USD ($79-$249/month), and we cover the blockchain fees (which are $0.00003 per product anyway).
What happens if XRPL goes down or disappears?
XRPL has been running since 2012 without downtime. It's maintained by Ripple Labs and the XRP Ledger Foundation, with hundreds of validator nodes worldwide. But even if it did disappear:
- Your data on IPFS still exists
- The blockchain is public, so anyone can run a node
- We could migrate to another blockchain
This is much safer than trusting a single company's database.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Coffee Roaster
Setup: Roaster buys beans from Ethiopia
Mint: "Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Farm ID: 12345, Harvest: Oct 2024, Fair Trade Cert: #ABC"
Distribution: Print QR on bag
Customer experience: Scan QR → see farm location, roast date, certifications
Example 2: Craft Distillery
Setup: Distillery makes small-batch whiskey
Mint: "Batch #47, Distilled: Jan 2022, Barrel: Oak #204, Bottled: Oct 2024"
Distribution: Each bottle gets QR code
Customer experience: Collector scans → proves it's authentic, not counterfeit
Example 3: Sustainable Fashion
Setup: Brand makes organic cotton t-shirt
Mint: "Organic cotton, Farm: India #789, GOTS Certified, Carbon Neutral Shipping"
Distribution: QR on clothing tag
Customer experience: Scan tag → see proof of claims
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