In today’s environment of overseas manufacturing and supply chains spanning oceans, miles, and cultures, securing a logistics network can be a moving target. In addition to smuggling and cargo theft, certain areas of the world are also high-risk regions for drug-related violence, political unrest, corruption and terrorism. To effectively manage product flow in high-risk areas, supply chain security programs should have robust processes in three key areas: recognition, evaluation and control of emerging threats.
Recognition of emerging threats. Successfully securing a supply chain requires more than just a single party securing its operations. Trusted partners must share information to stay up to date. To recognize threats, companies with international supply chains should take an active approach to sharing information with key stakeholders, such as customers, government agencies, and law enforcement. They should participate in industry groups such as the OSAC (Overseas Security Advisory Council) to take advantage of its information resources and consider setting up periodic meetings or conferences where all stakeholders can come together and discuss emerging threats. For example, in the past year, Ryder held two border security conferences – one focused on the U.S.-Mexico border and one on the U.S.-Canada border – and brought together representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its component agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as representatives from law enforcement and business partners in those countries to discuss innovations and best practices. These types of events allow companies to strengthen their relationships with government agencies and law enforcement and to keep the lines of communication open, helping to identify security situations as they arise.