CSCMP, Competitive Insights contribute to U.S. supply chain security policy

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Competitive Insights LLC (CI) announced that research conducted by both organizations on supply chain risk mitigation was used to shape a new national security policy for supply chains.

President Barack Obama in January 2012 released the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, which calls for a year-long process to seek specific recommendations from government, private sector, and international stakeholders to inform and guide the implementation of the strategy.

In a press release, CSCMP and CI said that they have provided data to national security staff on how the private sector might respond in the event of a catastrophe, the consequences of a breakdown in supply chains, and the resilience measures needed to strengthen supply chains in order to support response efforts.

"Any response effort to a catastrophic event in the U.S. would require substantial participation by private industry," said Rick Blasgen, CSCMP's president and chief executive officer. "CSCMP and CI were able to shape this security policy with real-world supply chain expertise to ensure that it will be quicker to implement and more effective in the long term."

"Competitive Insights has been working on effective ways to identify, mitigate, and measure the risks of significant supply chain disruptions for many years now," said Richard Sharpe, chief executive officer of CI. "This is a serious topic given the nature of the global supply chains that companies must manage today. We are pleased that our efforts could be put to good use for our national security."

The White House document can be viewed here.

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), based in Lombard, Ill., is a professional association that focuses on education, research, and the advancement of the supply chain management profession. It has more than 9,000 members in 63 countries. Competitive Insights, headquartered in Atlanta, was founded in 1998. The firm provides both supply chain Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and professional analytical services.