In providing a service or product, business owners do not act alone. There often times are many industry players involved, including the manufacturer (including miners), suppliers and distributors before the final service or product gets to the final consumers. The steps and products from the point of manufacturing till it gets to the final consumers make up the supply chain.
Supply chain is an integral part of business that cannot be taken away, as it reduces the burden of manufacturing and supply on the final seller as well as reducing the time between production and delivery. Thus, security in a supply chain must be managed properly, as it is vital to the overall success of the business.
It is important to know that the attacks faced by Attack on a supply chain process can happen at different pints in the process. Criminals in carrying out these attacks have mastered ways to exploit the weakness of supply chain processes. It is therefore very important for to consider possible security provide adequate security to as much as possible combat such attacks. Below are some attacks faced by supply chain:
- Theft/robbery
- Counterfeit goods and smuggling
- Piracy and hijacking
- Tampering with physical monitoring devices
Also, below are some methods of combating the phenomenon of insecurity with respect to supply chain:
- Using standardized identification means for employees or persons who have access to the supply chain process at all points, to ensure there are no unlawful entry.
- Employing the use of technology for real time update on the tracking and tracing of the movement of manufactured products and shipments.
- For transfer of products in transit, use advanced locking mechanisms.
- Screening all employees thoroughly with a focus on values to reduce risk of internal threats, as many times, external crimes are as a result of official information being leaked to criminals outside the supply chain process by an employee.
- Employee the use of physical guards to accompany the transportation of good and man factories, this will create a consciousness in persons with the intention to steal.
- Install technology to aid the security process, e.g. sensor alarm, CCTV, etc.
Conclusively, ensuring the security of a supply chain is very important and must not be ignored. It is important that business owners have an understanding of the entire supply process in other to make policies and actions that will adequately cater to the business needs.
