DHL supply chain security analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

DHL supply chain security analysis - Essay Example Disruption in supply chain management can negatively impact the overall value chain performance of companies. In such context, Closs and McGarrell (2004, p. 8) elaborated the concept of supply chain security management as â€Å"application of policies, procedures, and technologies to protect supply chain assets (products, facilities, equipment, information, and personnel) from theft, damage, or terrorism, and to prevent the introduction of unauthorized contraband, people, or weapons of mass destruction into the supply chain.† Considering the mentioned definition, Thai (2009) stated that supply chain companies need to coordinate with government bodies in order to improve security measures to prevent issues like counterfeit, theft, terrorism, missing of merchandises etc. Sarathy (2006) also pointed out that security related threats can occur at any point of supply chain activities including freight carriers, people associated with the transportation facility, factories, goods, v ehicles. Occurrence of any security threat can cause both financial and physical loss to companies hence companies logistic companies like DHL, FedEx and others provide significant importance to improvement of security in supply chain activities. ... conomic Operator (AEO) and Customs-trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) in order to increase security measures of international supply chain management and movement of cargo. Consideration of the research works of Gutie?rrez and Hintsa (2007) reveals six attributes of supply chain security analysis such as cargo management, information management, facility management, management of human resources, disaster recovery & crisis situation management and business network of the company. Up to this point, the essay has used theoretical arguments of various research scholars in order to prepare the background for conducting supply chain security analysis of DHL. As DHL is the focus organization in the paper, the research will cover pertinent issues regarding supply chain security in context to business operation of the company. In the next section, the essay will analyze five areas of supply chain security in context to business operation of DHL such as 1- supply chain policy, 2- Se curity Policy, 3- Technology Policy, 4- Government Regulations and 5- Sustainability. However, Yang (2011) suggested that supply chain security analysis should include issue like personnel control, inventory control, transportation root map analysis but covering these issues is beyond the scope of this paper. Supply Chain Policy-DHL According to report published by Asian Development Bank Institute (2013), DHL uses certain customer centric policies not only to improve supply chain efficiency but also achieve forward and backward value integration. In case of DHL, supply chain policy is not derived in overnight manner rather the company customizes supply chain policy in accordance with underlying business issues and needs of customers. DHL (2013a) reported that DHL generally integrates issues