by Fronetics | Sep 28, 2017 | Blog, Current Events, Strategy, Supply Chain
Terrorism is a reality that, unfortunately, requires our growing attention in the supply chain world.
The British Standards Institution Supply Chain Services and Solutions publishes an annual report that analyzes global trouble spots for supply chain operations. This year’s report focused on the continual rise in terrorist attacks and how it will continue to affect the supply chain.
In 2016, there were 346 attacks in just one year — that’s an 8.5% rise on the previous year, averaging 6.7 attacks every week.
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, describes the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror or fear to achieve a political, religious, or ideological aim. This violence can take on many forms, including cyberterrorism, and can have dire consequences to the supply chain.
“The direct impact from acts of terrorism and the indirect effects from terrorist organizations’ exploitation of the supply chain have been, and will continue to be, critically felt across Europe,” said David Fairnie, principal consultant in supply chain security at BSI.
In 2016, supply chain terrorism attacks were more widely distributed than in any previous year, with 38% more countries suffering attacks. The top 10 countries for supply-chain-terrorism incidents accounted for $664 billion worth of global exports. That includes $96 billion of exports to the United States. Clearly, a significant volume of international trade is at risk for disruption by terrorist groups.
I recently spoke with Randy Russell of the Russell Group, an agricultural lobbying firm that works with farmers and manufacturers from the supply chain, to ask about his thoughts on terrorism and the impact it can have on the supply chain, especially related to our food and water supplies.
“Terrorism is a global problem that strikes locally. The net result of the horrible tragedy of 9/11 was a wake-up call to all Americans about the threat of terrorists groups. We have invested billions in intelligence and homeland security to ensure that a large-scale attack doesn’t affect two major areas in the U.S., our water supply and an outbreak amongst our food supply, especially our cattle industry.
“No country is completely safe, but we are exponentially better prepared to stop such attempts because of a well-coordinated effort. Remember at the heart of of terrorism is the hatred of democracy and the freedoms it is built upon. Their whole approach is to create fear and doubt within the boundaries of those who embrace freedom.”
We know the nation is doing its part to keep us safe, but how are we keeping our businesses and brands safe as well? The need for brand safety has never been higher. Sarah Golding, president of IPA and chief executive at CHI & Partners, called for the industry to do more to protective itself, stating that an estimated 20% of the $32 billion spent on digital video and display advertising is fraudulently billed.
So How Can You Prepare Your Supply Chain for terrorism?
Munters Lean Manager Marcelo Simiao weighed in on how he believes businesses can prepare themselves in the event of an attack:
“From the point of view of the supply chain, the consequences of a terrorist act on places such as airports, ports, and railroads are not much different from the ones caused by natural disasters. Therefore the preparations should be similar.
“The difference is that some of these areas don’t have contingency or emergency plans for natural disasters because risk varies according to regions. So, these areas should make a thorough risk analysis similar to other areas’ natural disaster plans, and also put it in place in the case of terror threats.
“Corporations should include in their risk analysis not only areas subject to natural disasters, but also the ones with high risk of terror attacks. They must include actions such as diverse footprint, secondary suppliers for the same components, emergency changes on factories set up. These actions are used to compensate losses/disruption of the supply chain flow.
“Furthermore, real-time data acquisition, big-data analysis, and effective planning are the key to fast reaction times for corporations once an attack/disaster happens. The sooner the corporation takes action in order to mitigate disruption, the less its flow will be affected. If an airport is closed, it is important to be the first one to know and the first one trying to move the cargo through alternate routes/intermodal.”
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by Elizabeth Hines | Aug 22, 2016 | Blog, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Strategy, Supply Chain
Improve your company’s financial performance by implementing a risk-management strategy that plans for everyday events and disruptions.
Supply chain disruptions can have a significant impact on business and financial performance. A recent PwC and the MIT Forum for Supply Chain Innovation survey found a strong correlation between the maturity of businesses’ risk-management processes and reduced decline in operational performance indicators in the face of disruption.
A supply chain company’s need for a well-developed risk-management strategy is clear. That means planning for disruptions beyond the big-impact events, like environmental catastrophes, cyber attacks, and geopolitical instability. Companies need to be better prepared to handle day-to-day bumps in the road.
Managing everyday risks
Managers will often consider cataclysmic events but ignore the smaller risks that create friction in the supply chain. Dealing with these smaller factors in a reactive and piecemeal fashion is inefficient and ineffective and can significantly hurt your company.
Consider the following tips when developing an effective risk-management strategy that focuses on the everyday risks:
1) Employ a robust strategy that is always evolving.
Consider all of the factors that currently influence your supply chain, and be vigilant in terms of new technologies or emerging risks that could impact operations in the future.
2) Put a leader in charge.
Choose someone experienced in crisis management, negotiation, and critical problem-solving. This leader should be skilled in diplomacy and remaining calm under pressure.
3) Make sure the strategy is flexible.
A strategy that it uncompromising and rigid can exacerbate issues.
4) Define your comprehensive process.
Develop a clearly defined process to mitigate events such as cash-flow issues, inventory risk, competitor interruptions, client credit risk and default, data backup and recovery, key client attrition, employee satisfaction and retention, social media use and abuse, and reputation recovery.
5) Include human resources in the strategy.
Consider moving employees into new roles as a solution. Moving an employee into a new role permanently (or for a specified period to deal with an event) can help mitigate issues.
6) Don’t hide the issue.
If there is a problem, be sure that the clients hear about the problem from you. Be clear, concise, and honest when you contact clients. Explain what the issue is and what you are doing to address it.
7) Get everyone on board.
Take the time to make sure everyone is educated about the strategy and who is in charge. If just one person knows the strategy, it will not be effective.
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by Fronetics | Jan 19, 2016 | Blog, Current Events, Strategy, Supply Chain
The supply chain should prepare for future changes in the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The 2015 Paris United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) was the 21st yearly meeting of its kind. It drew attention, coming off the heels of the Paris attacks. It also garnered attention because of growing concerns about storms and flooding, ice caps melting, and increasing temperatures. The twelve-day conference hosted 185 nations, and ended with major outcomes that will certainly have an impact on how supply chains will do business.
The biggest outcome from the talks is the agreement to reduce the world’s greenhouse gases significantly to keep temperatures from rising 2 degrees Celsius, and a longer-term agreement to reach net-zero emissions by the second half of the century. If this goal isn’t met, it could bring terrible outcomes globally, such as the loss of entire island nations that could go completely underwater.
Even if the goal is met, there are concerns about the irreversible damage that has been done in the past decades, which indicates the necessity of the plan. The agreement is described as, “probably the most important international agreement in history” by UN Executive Director Achim Steiner.
According to Adrian Gonzalez, president of Boston-based Adelante SCM, “It’s too soon to know what impact this will have on supply chain in the near term, but considering that the agreement is voluntary and there are no enforcement mechanisms in place, my sense is that very little will change over the next twelve months.”
Here are some things supply chain companies need to be considering in the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement, despite the future being unclear:
Assessment
According to James Allan, head of environment and climate change at risk analysis company Versik Maplecroft, “Many companies will have difficulty understanding their exposure to various climate risks, so they may need to bring new skillsets into the organisation, conduct internal studies, and update policies and internal processes.” This might be a new endeavor for companies, or one that wasn’t high on the priority list in the past.
Integration
Allan goes on to say, “A key step will be integrating climate change risks into strategic decision-making and operational risk-management processes.” We will have to wait to see what our congress decides in regards to making the Paris Agreement guidelines into law in the United States. Based on the requirements, companies may have many changes to implement into their business practices.
Partnering
Assessing how partners manage risk and plan to make changes is important, as companies will want to be on the same page. Forming new partnerships with others might also be crucial, particularly if those companies are ahead of the curve on environmental compliance. “Partnerships will also be crucial for successfully managing climate risks, including with supply chain partners, governments, business partners, civil society and the wider public,” says Allan.
We will see what comes from the Paris Climate Agreement and what it has in store for the supply chain and, on a larger scale, the world.
by Fronetics | Oct 14, 2015 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
A study conducted by Accenture found that supply chain risk management is seen by companies as a priority. Seventy-six percent of companies who participated in the survey described supply chain risk management as important or very important, and 25 percent of respondents reported that they are planning to make increased investments of at least 20 percent in supply chain risk management in the next two years.
Social media is one place where an investment should be made.
Social media is not just for kids. Social media is not just for socializing. Social media is a business tool that can play an important role in supply chain risk management. Here are three reasons why your company should invest in social media.
News in real time
Social media is the new “newswire.” It has supplanted the AP, Dow Jones, and Bloomberg for breaking news. The earthquake in China, the Boston Marathon bombing, the death of Obama bin Laden, and the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton were all stories that broke on Twitter. Stories that played out over social media include the horsemeat scandal and Apple’s China supply chain sage.
When it comes to supply chain risk management, knowing what is happening in real time is vital. Whether it is learning about an earthquake that happened near your manufacturing facility, or monitoring the path and intensity of a hurricane – real time information will enable your company to make more informed and timelier decisions on how to manage or mitigate risk.
Identify emerging risks
In addition to providing timely information on events such as natural disasters and terror attacks, social media is a tool that can be used to identify additional risks to your company and supply chain. Specifically, social media can be used to identify risks such as weak links in your supply chain, missteps made by a supply chain partner, and customer concerns/dissatisfaction.
Managing and mitigate risks
A survey found that 89 percent of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience. The survey also found that 50 percent of consumers give a brand only one week to respond to a question before they stop doing business with them.
Social media is a great tool to provide customers with a great customer experience – fast. By engaging a dissatisfied customer over social media, listening to their concerns and addressing them – you are more likely to retain that customer and gain more customers. As the adage goes: “It is less expensive to retain a current customer than attain a new customer.”
Additionally, because social media allows for information to be distributed to a large number of people instantaneously, it is an effective tool for letting customers and partners know you are on top of an issue, or for altering them of an upcoming disruption.
When it comes to supply chain risk management communication and information is vital – social media is an effective tool to add to your company’s risk management toolkit. Get your company off the social media starting line.
This was previously published on Electronics Purchasing Strategies.
by Fronetics | Sep 30, 2015 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
The social economy is estimated to be $1.3 trillion U.S. dollars annually. Social media is more than a collection of personal commentary, photos, and inspirational quotes. Increasingly, social media creates an opportunity to gather information, and social media is becoming a useful tool for businesses to connect with other businesses and clients. Although Facebook is notorious for gathering information, social media companies are not the only companies who can gather intelligence.
Data Gathering
Gathering of intelligence has never been easier. Although there are still traditional indicators of sales and traditional feedback loops, the age of social media allows for swift collection of intelligence. According to McKinsey, “Analysts typically spend 80 percent of their time gathering information before they begin to analyze it. Social intelligence radically alters this process. Numerous tools allow analysts to create dynamic maps that pinpoint where information and expertise reside and to track new data in real time.”
Capturing the Consumer
Collecting information from your consumers online— the good, the bad, and the dirty— can help you understand consumer sentiment around brands. By searching for key words or terms you may improve sales strategies, product placement, or understand demand cycles.
Do you want to see what clients and consumers say about you and your products, about their reliance, frustration, appreciate of your role in the supply chain? You should! But you can also have a look at what is trending, what your competitors are doing, and how you can gain traction through social media. The window is a unique opportunity for you. If your competitors are garnering more views, figure out why. Do they highlight their employees? Do they link directly to items for purchase? Do they use keywords you’re not using? Are they presenting themselves as leaders in the industry by blogging?
Storm Surge
Storms happen, and they’re stronger than ever. Natural disasters will never cease. Accidents happen. There’s no fix-all, no cure for these things, but there are new ways to manage these challenging moments when they strike. In March 2012, the Red Cross announced the creation of a social media crisis monitoring center called the American Red Cross Digital Operations Center.
When Hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern Seaboard, the Red Cross was able to see how valuable social intelligence can be. According to an article in Fast Company, How the Red Cross Used Tweets to Save Lives During Hurricane Sandy, “During the week of Hurricane Sandy, the Red Cross tracked more than 2 million posts and responded to thousands of people. In the end, 88 social media posts directly affected response efforts—a fairly significant shift of resources.”
While people lost power during Hurricane Sandy, many still had internet access on their phones. They could access news updates, connect with loved ones, and ask for help through social media. According to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, more than 20 million tweets were sent about Hurricane Sandy in the span of 6 days.
The intelligent thing to do for your company just might be to explore social media intelligence.
