Secure RFID-Enablement in Modern Companies

Author(s):  
Matthieu-P. Schapranow ◽  
Jürgen Müller ◽  
Alexander Zeier ◽  
Hasso Plattner

Current RFID implementations suffer from security threats and privacy issues since the technology was not designed for secured data exchange. In emerging global RFID-aided supply chains, the need for open interfaces between supply chain partners exposes business secrets. A case study focusing on the development of detected counterfeits in the pharmaceutical industries in Europe and in the United States of America motivates the rising importance for RFID security. A formal model for describing RFID-aided supply chains is introduced to analyze flow of messages and data. Countermeasure tasks for all involved supply chain participants are defined to harden the integrity of the global supply chain. Motivated by concerns of exposing data via the air interface, two mutual authentication protocols are presented that aim to keep tag production costs low. Their applicability in context of the pharmaceutical industry is discussed.

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (38) ◽  
pp. E7891-E7899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Smith ◽  
Andrew L. Goodkind ◽  
Taegon Kim ◽  
Rylie E. O. Pelton ◽  
Kyo Suh ◽  
...  

Corn production, and its associated inputs, is a relatively large source of greenhouse gas emissions and uses significant amounts of water and land, thus contributing to climate change, fossil fuel depletion, local air pollutants, and local water scarcity. As large consumers of this corn, corporations in the ethanol and animal protein industries are increasingly assessing and reporting sustainability impacts across their supply chains to identify, prioritize, and communicate sustainability risks and opportunities material to their operations. In doing so, many have discovered that the direct impacts of their owned operations are dwarfed by those upstream in the supply chain, requiring transparency and knowledge about environmental impacts along the supply chains. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) have been used to identify hotspots of environmental impacts at national levels, yet these provide little subnational information necessary for guiding firms’ specific supply networks. In this paper, our Food System Supply-Chain Sustainability (FoodS3) model connects spatial, firm-specific demand of corn purchasers with upstream corn production in the United States through a cost minimization transport model. This provides a means to link county-level corn production in the United States to firm-specific demand locations associated with downstream processing facilities. Our model substantially improves current LCA assessment efforts that are confined to broad national or state level impacts. In drilling down to subnational levels of environmental impacts that occur over heterogeneous areas and aggregating these landscape impacts by specific supply networks, targeted opportunities for improvements to the sustainability performance of supply chains are identified.


2012 ◽  
pp. 1626-1636
Author(s):  
Seyed-Mahmoud Aghazadeh

As the domestic businesses expand, many are making the choice to use foreign products, labor, and services to aid in their production. Global supply chains are minimizing the costs of the production process but are also creating vulnerabilities to home countries. As the global economy changes, the competitiveness between countries grows. Competitiveness can affect everything from a country’s economy to how a firm conducts international business. Addressing the need to find a method to increase the United States competitiveness in the world economy by improving the use of global supply chains would help to make domestic firms more successful in the global economy. Studying how companies position themselves abroad is important to providing insight into how to become more competitive. Worldwide companies are diversifying by moving more of their supply chain to international locations. This is providing them with many benefits such as better markets for products, lower costs, and more advanced technologies. As a result, the competitive strategy of companies is to increase production and decrease costs through the most efficient global supply chain. Maximizing the potential of domestic firms’ global supply chains is one of the most effective ways to increase U.S. competitiveness. If more big businesses in the United States are willing to participate on the global level, then the US will be able to improve their competitiveness.


Author(s):  
Seyed-Mahmoud Aghazadeh

As the domestic businesses expand, many are making the choice to use foreign products, labor, and services to aid in their production. Global supply chains are minimizing the costs of the production process but are also creating vulnerabilities to home countries. As the global economy changes, the competitiveness between countries grows. Competitiveness can affect everything from a country’s economy to how a firm conducts international business. Addressing the need to find a method to increase the United States competitiveness in the world economy by improving the use of global supply chains would help to make domestic firms more successful in the global economy. Studying how companies position themselves abroad is important to providing insight into how to become more competitive. Worldwide companies are diversifying by moving more of their supply chain to international locations. This is providing them with many benefits such as better markets for products, lower costs, and more advanced technologies. As a result, the competitive strategy of companies is to increase production and decrease costs through the most efficient global supply chain. Maximizing the potential of domestic firms’ global supply chains is one of the most effective ways to increase U.S. competitiveness. If more big businesses in the United States are willing to participate on the global level, then the US will be able to improve their competitiveness.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elona Gjini ◽  
Albert I Wertheimer

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) signed into law in November 27, 2013 by president Obama creates a uniform national standard for tracing drug products through the supply chain. The goal of DQSA is to enhance FDA’s ability to help protect consumers by detecting and removing potential dangerous products from the pharmaceutics distribution supply chain. A new electronic, interoperable system will identify and trace only prescription drugs in the finished form for human use while distributed in the United States. The purpose of this review was to shed light on a complex and complicated process that it will require cooperation between FDA and drug manufactures, wholesale drug distributors, repackagers and dispensers. The implementation of the DSCSA is based on several law requirements and FDA has developed a schedule with time frames for each of them to be executed over a 10-year period. From this review, FDA recommendations are provided through the FDA Guidance on Identifying Suspect Product document to help trading partners and provide information about the risk of suspect drugs entering the supply chain. Moreover, FDA organized on April 5-6, 2016 in Silver Spring, MD a public workshop to gather valuable feedback from stakeholders who shared their input about the implementation of the new electronic system and its requirements. By the end of 2023, a unified system will provide easier data exchange and less errors, and will increase the safety and security of the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain.   Type: Student Project


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saif Khan

Semiconductors are a key component in fueling scientific progress, promoting economic advancement, and ensuring national security. This issue brief summarizes each component of the semiconductor supply chain and where the United States and its allies possess the greatest leverage. A related policy brief, “Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains,” recommends policy actions to ensure the United States maintains this leverage and uses it to promote the beneficial use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saif Khan

The countries with the greatest capacity to develop, produce and acquire state-of-the-art semiconductor chips hold key advantages in the development of emerging technologies. At present, the United States and its allies possess significant leverage over core segments of the supply chain used to produce these chips. This policy brief outlines actions the United States and its allies can take to secure that advantage in the long term and use it to promote the beneficial use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiban Khuntia ◽  
Frances Mejia ◽  
Xue Ning ◽  
Jeff Helton ◽  
Rulon Stacey

BACKGROUND How are health systems shaping strategies to restore the supply chain disruptions in 2021? Do they want to improve the supply chain integration? Do they want to collaborate with new start-ups to revamp the supply chain? Given the widespread disruptions to supply chains in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these questions are essential to have confidence in health systems’ supply chain model strategies. Plausibly, health systems have an opportunity for redesign, growth, and innovation by utilizing collaborative strategies now, compared to the usual strategies of integrating their existing supply chains to reduce inefficiencies. This study is focused on teasing out the nuance of supply chain integration vs. collaboration strategies for health systems in the post-COVID “new normal.” OBJECTIVE We focus on two research questions. First, we explore the impact of perceived supply chain challenges and disruptions on health systems’ supply chain integration (SC-INTEGRATION) and collaborative redesign (SC-REDESIGN) strategies. Second, we examine the outcomes of integration and collaborative redesign strategic choices on growth and service outcomes. METHODS We surveyed a robust group of health system chief executive officers (CEOs) (N=625) across the United States from February to March 2021. Twenty-two percent of the CEOs (135) responded to our survey. We considered supply chain relevant strategy and outcome variables from the literature and ratified them via expert consensus. We collected secondary data from the AHRQ Compendium of the U.S. Health Systems, leading to a matched data set from the 124 health systems. Then, we employed ordered logit model estimation to examine CEO preferences for partnership strategies to address current supply disruptions and the outcomes of strategy choices. RESULTS Health systems with higher disruptions would choose integration over redesign, indicating that they still trust the existing partners. Integration strategy is perceived to result in better service outcomes while collaborations are perceived to lead to greater growth opportunities; however, the role of integration on growth is not completely ruled out. Plausibly, some health systems would choose both integration and collaborative redesign models, which have a significant relationship with both service and growth, establishing the importance of mixed strategies for health systems. CONCLUSIONS The cost of healthcare continues to rise, and supply-related costs constitute a large portion of a hospital’s expenditure. Understanding supply chain strategic choices are essential for the success of a health system. Although collaborative revamp is an option; but still focusing on and improving existing integration dynamics is helpful to foster both growth and services for health systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5933
Author(s):  
Saoli Chanda ◽  
Mahadev Bhat ◽  
Kateel G. Shetty ◽  
Krishnaswamy Jayachandran

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Florida, a state located in the south-eastern region of the United States. The state is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the country and contributes to almost 90% of the domestic winter tomato supplies. However, tomato farmers in Florida have come under increasing pressure due to climate changes, foreign imports, and rising production costs. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether Florida tomato growers will continue to sustain their production given the seasonal and geographic production advantage, yet against various internal and external threats emerging throughout the fresh produce supply chain. We developed our study on a multi-disciplinary conceptual model of network (supply chain) relationship and primary and secondary data gathered from various stakeholders and the literature. We found that Florida farmers have done remarkably well by adapting to warming temperatures and changing consumer expectations about environmental sustainability and responsible labor practices. However, foreign competition, labor shortage, the rising costs of inputs, extreme weather events (hurricanes), and pests and diseases due to humid climate continue to affect the sustainability of the Florida tomato production. Our paper suggests various farm-, market-, and institution-level adaptation mechanisms for preventing the regional production advantage of the Florida tomato industry from eroding. Newer immigration laws are necessary for easing the labor situation. In order to have a level playing field with respect to the use of protected agriculture technology such as in Mexico and Canada, U.S. farmers in general and Florida farmers in particular need government support. Florida farmers need to diversify their fresh produce market strategies, finding new product streams. There is also a need for reforming the product certification landscape, which some growers find cumbersome and cost prohibitive. Growers may gain from being better able to convey to consumers the information regarding their effort put into environmental sustainability, workers welfare, and safe food.


Author(s):  
Mariia Hryhorak ◽  
◽  
Liliya Shevchuk

The article reveals the main trends in the functioning of global supply chains in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on the activities of Ukrainian enterprises are identified. It is noted that the closure of borders between countries and the introduction of self-isolation regime caused a significant reduction in production capacity and the volume of international trade. Global supply chains have become very vulnerable and necessitate their revision and the search for alternative ways to deliver goods to end users. Since Ukraine is a country with an open market economy, this article summarizes the main challenges for import-dependent supply chains and makes proposals on ways to overcome them. The expediency of applying the concept of Lean-management in business processes management of refrigeration supply chains during a pandemic as a means of overcoming crisis situations and ensuring sustainable development are proved. The dynamics and structure analysis of the company LLC "Holod Engineering" income and expenses allowed to establish a tendency to reduce the profitability of the company's business and capital turnover, as well as increase the share of logistics costs in the production costs. The greatest impact on the growth of logistics costs have the inventory costs due to the processes of storage and orders completion and delivery delays, which lead to customer dissatisfaction and complaints. Methodical approaches to estimating the level of processes coordination in the supply chains of refrigeration equipment, calculation of supply lots optimal parameters, levels of raw materials and components stocks, production and storage capacity rationalization of the enterprise are substantiated. With the help of Shewhart's control charts, the coordination of business processes in the equipment supply chains were assessed and the sources of potential losses were identified. The technological and logistics processes optimization in terms of their cost, duration and quality of results takes into account not only individual processes of enterprises, but also interprocess connections between supply chain links. It is proposed to implement a number of organizational measures using the concept of lean management, which involves market integration, production process, procurement and sales in order to provide a high level of customer service. The efficiency of the proposed organizational changes and their impact on business profitability, inventory turnover, the amount of logistics costs and the quality of customer service are determined.


Author(s):  
Mark Gershon ◽  
Jagadeesh Rajashekharaiah

Supply chains are assessed for the contribution they make in improving business processes. Assessment also looks at the return on investment and improves the overall functioning of the entire chain. However, supply chains extend beyond geographical borders and span a wide variety of activities; therefore, a systematic examination of factors required for success of supply chains is essential. This paper proposes a composite method by which supply chains could be assessed at multiple levels to enable a comprehensive comparison. The objective is to first compare at a global level and then narrow down to the firms’ level. Although over time a number of measures have been developed to evaluate supply chain performance, this paper provides a methodology involving well-known techniques to assess the supply chain success based on objective considerations. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate how global players can select the partnering countries to reap maximum benefits. Finally, a comprehensive model is provided involving three approaches that look at the issue of comparison from different perspectives and are debated with respect to India and the United States.


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