Definition

Supply chain security refers to efforts to enhance the security of the supply chain: the transport and logistics system for the world's cargo. It combines traditional practices of supply chain management with the security requirements of the system, which are driven by threats such as terrorism, piracy, and theft. Typical supply chain security activities include:

• Credentialing of participants in the supply chain.
• Screening and validating of the contents of cargo being shipped.
• Advance notification of the contents to the destination country.
• Ensuring the security of cargo while in-transit via the use of locks and tamper-proof seals.
• Inspecting cargo on entry.

Key Initiatives

There are a number of supply chain security initiatives in the United States and around the world today. These include:

• The Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT), a voluntary compliance program for companies to improve the security of their corporate supply chains.
• The Container Security Initiative, a program led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security focused on screening containers at foreign ports.
• Efforts for countries around the world to implement and enforce the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), an agreement of 148 countries that are members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• Pilot initiatives by companies in the private sector to track and monitor the integrity of cargo containers moving around the world using technologies such as RFID and GPS.

Related Sites

• Supply Chain Management
• Homeland Security
• Container Security Initiative
• Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism

External links

• C-TPAT website
• IMO FAQ on the ISPS Code
• MIT Project on Supply Chain Response to Terrorism
• Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum
• RAND Report on Evaluating the Security of the Global Containerized Supply Chain
• IBM White Paper on Global Movement Management
• Shipment Guard Supply Chain Security Recommendations
• APL Logistics Security White Paper