Benefits of Supply Chain Security Outweigh the Costs

Aug 1, 2006 12:00 PM

           

Companies that invest in supply chain security measures can expect substantial benefits that far outweigh the costs of the security expenditures, according to a new study by Stanford University released by The Manufacturing Institute, the research and education arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

“This new study quantifies for the first time the significant business value of global supply chain security investments, confirming a broad range of benefits that can have a positive impact on a company's bottom line,” says Jerry Jasinowski, president of The Manufacturing Institute.

Participating in the study were eleven major manufacturers and three logistics providers that import into the United States and are considered “innovators” in supply chain security in their industry. These innovative companies all received the expected security benefits from their investments such as reduced vulnerability to global acts of terrorism, natural disasters and energy shortages, but they also documented for the first time significant “collateral” benefits.

The companies that were able to quantify their benefits, on average:

• reduced their Customs inspections by 48 percent;

• increased the automated handling of their imports by 43 percent;

• saw a 29 percent reduction in transit times;

• improved their asset visibility in the supply chain by 50 percent;

• improved on-time shipping to customers by 30 percent;

• reduced time taken to identify problems by 21 percent;

• reduced theft in inventory management by 38 percent;

• reduced excess inventory by 14 percent; and

• reduced customer attrition by 26 percent.

“In addition to lower risk and higher security, investments in supply chain security can provide significant business value to organizations,” says Theo Fletcher, vice president for import compliance and supply chain security, IBM. “If it's done correctly, supply chain security can be a competitive advantage,” he adds.

The study identifies five major areas of improvement for manufacturers and logistics service providers/ocean carriers stemming from supply chain security investments: inventory management and customer service; visibility; efficiency; resilience; and customer relations.

“Despite the diverse types of companies that participated in the study, almost all of them realized benefits in each of the five areas identified,” says Dr. Barchi Gillai of Stanford University, the study's co-author. “Given their broad range of direct and collateral benefits, security investments should not be considered as a financial burden but rather as an opportunity for improving business performance and profitability.”

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