ABSTRACT
Protecting global supply chains against illegal acts is receiving increasing attention both within the trade community and the governmental authorities. Various recent voluntary programmes and mandatory regulations are currently being introduced to reduce the vulnerability of the global supply chains faced with international crime, drug smuggling, terrorism, etc. However, there is little empirical evidence about the impacts of these programmes for the companies that have implemented them. BASC (Business Alliance for Secure Commerce) is a private-origin voluntary security programme, created in Latin America in 1996. This programme, initially designed to prevent legal cargo from being used to smuggle drugs, has evolved towards a complete security management system, which covers multiple security issues within the supply chain. This study presents the result analysis of a 20-question survey, answered by 102 BASC member companies. The study identifies which supply-chain security standards have been implemented by security leading companies in Latin America, establishes which are the most and least efficient implemented security measures, provides a qualitative analysis of the relationship between cost and effectiveness of these measures and presents some of the benefits acquired through the programme implementation. Based on the overall findings and observations the study provides recommendations and conclusions for governmental and company decision makers in relation to “future win-win supply-chain security programmes”.
