The National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security targets the maritime industry and its associated partners who are involved in moving goods across great expanses of ocean and land in order to keep business and industry humming along. It is a six page document that outlines goals and a strategic approach.
I found it very interesting that in the cover letter from President Obama that there was this sentence, "We reject the false choice between security and efficiency and firmly believe that we can promote economic growth while protecting our core values as a nation and as a people." I've found that security is seen as a drag on an efficient business operation. It is an unnecessary drag on what needs to be done to keep the system moving. I've often said that security and safety have the same issue. It is always faster and easier to do a task if we don't need to be concerned with both of these. Safety slows us down and keeps us from being efficient as possible. It is only when something bad happens that the safety measures that are in place pay off. So too it is with security. Day-to-day it is a necessary evil getting in the way of an efficient operation. But, when something does happen...
What I like about the document is that it like many others today recognize that we are interconnected and you can't just have a Federal solution. Everyone needs to do their part in government and business to have a safe and secure supply chain. There is also now the recognition that natural hazards are issues that we need to be planning for. While crime and terrorism remain as threats it is probably a natural disaster that will cause the most business disruption.
Cross border cooperation is also needed in a highly competitive industry that is more adept at competing than cooperating with one another. This is perhaps one of the largest challenges we have to overcome. When we think regions in global supply chain issues we are naturally expanding beyond our borders and that feels uncomfortable to those who are unaccustomed to cooperating with others.
Back in the day a "collaborator" was a dirty word. It was someone who was consorting with the enemy. To be successful on the day in which catastrophe strikes will require us to be collaborating with everyone who we formerly competed with and who we may have treated as the enemy. To be successful will require us to form positive relationships before the disaster. Otherwise we'll just be floundering around with no ability to work with one another.
