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Supply Chain Risk Management is far broader than cyber. The Department of Defense needs to take off the blinders.

Tunnel Vision at the Office of the Secretary of Defense

The Office of the Secretary of Defense posted a job, Director, Supply Chain Risk Management. Is a reawakening taking place?

Steve Geary
By Steve GearySep 27, 2020
Steve Geary
Steve Geary is adjunct faculty at the University of Tennessee's Haaslam College of Business and is a lecturer at The Gordon Institute at Tufts University. He is the President of the Supply Chain Visions family of companies, consultancies that work across the government sector. Steve is a contributing editor at DC Velocity, and editor-at-large for CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly.
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The Office of the Secretary of Defense posted an opportunity. The position, Director, Supply Chain Risk Management might indicate that the department is returning to a focus on supply chains. Is a reawakening taking place?

“When God sings, there is glorious music and a choir of angels to fill the air with love,” wrote Anthony Hincks.

Well, I dug into the position description, getting to cue the chorus. The position “supports the Chief Information Security Officer - Acquisition in the implementation of next generation secure supply chain capabilities.” That’s not exactly where I’d put the position in the org chart, but I read on.

The position “addresses cybersecurity risks to supply chains affecting the Department of Defense weapon systems and critical infrastructure. The significance of the cyber threat, as characterized in the National Defense Strategy, highlights the importance of mitigating cyber risks to DoD supply chains.”

Sigh. In sports lingo, I’d call that a swing and a miss. Supply Chain Risk Management is far broader than cyber.

The Department of Defense needs to take off the blinders.

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steve geary on global logistics and risk
Blog
steve geary on global logistics and risk

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