Understanding supply chain security strategy

Abstract

In the post-9/11 environment, organizations are acutely aware of the need to secure their supply chains from risks of being a target of, or an unwilling participant in, a terror attack. However, supply chain security (SCS) comes at a cost and increasing levels of protection have increasing levels of costs to the firm. So some firms engage in strategic initiatives to secure the supply chain (SC) while others do not; and each firm engages in varying degrees of activities to ensure SCS. Therefore, in this study, the researchers sought to explore what types of SCS strategies exist. The researchers analyze 162 responses to a SCS survey completed by executives from a broad range of firms and industries and identify three general SCS strategies: Advanced, Laggards, and Compliant. Implications for researchers and practitioners are presented.