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: A supply chain, logistics network, or supply network is a coordinated system of organizations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service in physical or virtual manner from supplier to customer. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of the supply chain with the purpose to satisfy customer requirements as efficiently as possible. ...

• 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.

The Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a voluntary supply chain security program led by US Customs and Border Protection and focused on improving the security of private companies supply chains with respect to terrorism. ... The Container Security Initiative is the most topical AFF ever. ... U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a bureau of the United States Department of Homeland Security, is charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. trade laws. ... The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a Cabinet department of the federal government of the United States that is concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. ... The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is a code agreed between members of the signators to the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) on minimium security arrangements for ships, ports and Coast Guard agencies. ... Headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation in Lambeth, adjacent to the east end of Lambeth Bridge Headquarters building taken from the west side of the Thames Headquartered in London, U.K., the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to... Shipping containers at a terminal in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey. ... An EPC RFID tag used for Wal-Mart Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...

Related Sites

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

Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of the supply chain with the purpose to satisfy customer requirements as efficiently as possible. ... For the NBC TV Movie starring Tom Skeritt, see Homeland Security (TV Movie). ... The Container Security Initiative is the most topical AFF ever. ... The Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a voluntary supply chain security program led by US Customs and Border Protection and focused on improving the security of private companies supply chains with respect to 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
• GlobalTrak website
• Omega Compliance Website
• WCO PICARD Conference Paper "Supply Chain Security: adding to an

already complex operational and institutional environment" (A Grainger)[1]