Photo from Nick Saltmarsh Creative Commons
Logistics has become more streamlined and efficient with the use of technology but even the best of things comes with a price. A growing reliance on automated systems makes supply chains everywhere increasingly vulnerable to potential criminal and terrorist attacks.
What do these nefarious hackers want? They want what many bad guys want: money, power (in this case, via information), and cargo. Hacking into automated supply chain systems potentially gives them all three. Does this mean retailers, manufacturers and other supply chain end users should use old school tracking?
Absolutely not. The benefits to automated, advanced technological systems are too many to justify giving them up. Better inventory control (including better theft detection), ease of fulfillment, and better overall efficiency are just three reasons to maintain a technologically advanced supply chain at every level.
The secret to success is protecting one’s self from attacks as much as possible.
Awareness of the potential vulnerabilities across the supply chain is the vital first self-protection step. How does each player in your supply chain offer protection? Do they have updated, secure systems? You don’t want any “weak links” in your supply chain. Even one weak point can wreak havoc on the entire process.
Entering accurate data is another major step in self-protection for supply chain end users. According to this report in Logistics Management, making sure electronic data is accurate is a major security step.
Suzanne Richer, director of the trade advisory practice at global trade management software provider Amber Road, was quoted as saying that logistics managers can protect themselves and their supply chains.
“Ensuring electronic data is accurate is critical to ensuring on-time delivery,” she said in the report. “You can’t get anything in or out of a country without data.”
We at On Time Logistics work with a wide variety of supply chains from receiving goods from out of the country for which we provide last-mile delivery, to medical courier services for local medical facilities. We are diligent in making sure that our procedures, data, software, and equipment are the most up-to-date possible.