We have talked at length here on the Celtrino blog about the importance of securing supply of raw materials for future business growth, but it is equally important to ensure your supply chain data is adequately secured again loss, damage or theft. Just as losing a warehouse could damage your company, so too could loss of critical data. Here are a few things to consider:

1. User-level security

Unfortunately the weakest point of any computer system is the people using it. A malicious staff member could steal data, or a negligent employee could delete it. Either way, your supply chain management system needs a way to restrict access to sensitive information.

2. Information access

Your business data has to be stored somewhere secure, probably spread across more than one physical location for easy access. Consequently all security protocols will need to extend across each site too. Consider using cloud hosting which places the burden of responsibility on your provider for keeping data safe and secure.

3. Selective sharing

Although we strongly recommend data sharing between supply chain partners, it is not appropriate to make everything available. Use data segregation and encryption to keep commercially sensitive information separate from that which is to be shared.

4. Resilient System Design

Just as a supply chain manager tries to eliminate the risks associated with supply and demand, similar thought should be given as to how best to keep the company data safe in case of disaster.

5. Scalable

The fortunes of your company will change over time, making a system which can expand and contract accordingly essential for business agility. A good supply chain management system therefore needs to be adjustable and configurable.

For businesses looking to hit the ground running, this list may seem quite daunting but options exist to make deployment easier. Celtrino’s Smart Admin platform interfaces with existing in-house system to facilitate easy data transfer with in-built security and resilience, leaving your supply chain manager free to consider risks external to your business instead.