Articles
Supply Chain Security
Strengthening International Cargo Security
The global supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Shippers and service providers face a dynamic security landscape subject to government regulations and evolving risks. They need to focus on identity verification as a key first step to strengthening cargo security. Positively identifying who is sending a package provides vital data. Not […]
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Technology Powers New Supply Chain Security Systems
In a speech at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology in March 2011, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano said, “Innovation is critical to economic growth, international competitiveness, and national security. We must expand government’s collaboration with the science and engineering communities in industry and academia to include a deeper, broader partnership on homeland […]
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Container Security: Filling in the Blanks
It is often impossible to know what containers entering the United States really contain. Even with bonded shipments and the 24-hour manifest required by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Container Security Initiative, we merely take the shipper’s word as to a container’s contents, never knowing whether its security has been compromised during transit. Using Container […]
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Gearing Up for 100% Air Cargo Screening
A complex shift in the air cargo industry begins in August 2010, when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require 100-percent screening of all air cargo carried in passenger planes departing from or arriving at U.S. airports. In response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the TSA created a security mandate with an initial step […]
Read MoreHazmat Education Is the Best Response
Today’s logisticians need to be well-grounded in many areas of hazardous materials (HM) management and alert to the prevalence of these regulated materials throughout the supply chain—in the workplace, in the work process, and in distribution. HM falls into two categories and three broad applications. The two categories are materials inherently hazardous and materials that […]
Read MoreFor Your Eyes Only: Safeguarding EDI File Data
We all want the convenience of sharing information seamlessly across departments and business partners. To eliminate cumbersome manual processes, manufacturers share Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents—such as shipping notices and purchase orders—with 3PLs, sourcing companies, expeditors, and freight forwarders so that these parties have the information they need. EDI documents bring manufacturers added convenience and […]
Read MoreTechnology Standards Hold the Key to Security
Since the advent of globalization, logisticians have sought a technology that provides real-time tracking of goods, documents, and information across supply chains. Considered a luxury for many years, the development of a Supply Chain Technology Standard (SCTS) has become an operational mandate to meet the need for heightened security. Unfortunately, no single technology creates real-time, […]
Read MoreProper Hazmat Training Needs to Catch Fire
Hazmat shipments are a common feature of U.S. supply chains. Yet for many businesses, training does not match the frequency with which these products are moving. In 1996, 800,000 movements of hazardous material were made daily in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates. Conservative estimates today put that number closer […]
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