What's Your Strategy for Supply Chain Disclosure?

Many companies have limited visibility of their supply chain information, have a poor understanding of their capabilities for capturing and reporting this information, and have not overtly considered their supply chain information disclosure strategy. In this article, the authors discuss the pressures on companies to disclose supply chain information, the drivers and impediments to supply chain disclosure, and the types of supply chain information. Companies should anticipate the information demands of external stakeholders. The adoption of new information and communication technologies, particularly in the areas of tracking and tracing, such as radio frequency identification, has facilitated tremendous transparency potential. Steps companies should take include: 1. Analyze the pressures for increased supply chain transparency. 2. Assess current capabilities and resource base. 3. Identify current levels and quality of critical information in the supply chain. 4. Clarify strategic thinking around the supply chain information disclosure. 5. Decide on the type and level of information disclosure. 6. Ensure strategic alignment between supply chain information and company strategy.