The Five Foundations of Securing Digital Supply Chains and Operations

For example, established businesses are also partnering with start-ups to help rapidly retool themselves for the future – but this can create a mismatch in governance maturity, with commercially sensitive information, like product development intellectual property, exposed when shared digitally. Automating the entire value chain–from forecasting demand to fulfilling it–is another area of great promise. It requires data to be shared across ecosystems, such as with manufacturers and retailers.

But how can the system’s algorithms be protected, which are themselves highly prized intellectual property? And how can you guarantee that the data is entered correctly? Security of the data is only part of the digital puzzle – it’s also about trust and confidence in what happens with the data.

Bridging the physical and digital worlds – often called “phygital” – also possess its own risks. Outfitting aging assets with smart connectivity and sensors makes them more vulnerable to cyber threats, particularly when contractors and third parties are sharing the data.

Do you know your inventory of what data is out there, and do you have a plan to monitor its handling and the devices involved? Here are five strategies to reduce the potential pitfalls of digital as you capitalize on the possibilities:

1. Know what your most valuable data is. Modern businesses have data streaming in from many corners. Don’t let the immensity of it all dis­tract you from focusing on what is of primary importance.

2. Update or establish policies around digital enablement. No doubt you have existing policies around governance and other issues, but are they still relevant in the digital future you’re building?

3. Understand your new end-to-end operating model.Who’s managing the controls around the data as it moves across operations? If data is lost, can you see where it was lost and who’s accountable?

4. Work collaboratively with your suppliers on a cyber response plan. When problems suddenly surface, you don’t want to make up a response on the spot. Be proactive and think about how to react now.

5. Do your due diligence on the or­ganizations you’re working within your ecosystem. You and your part­ners will be interconnected, so be able to validate their processes, cul­tures and technologies.

In a hyper-connected world, each day is different from the last, but careful planning –using these five recommendations as guidelines to avoid potential pitfalls – is timeless. Never lose sight of that in the blur of change that surrounds us.

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