David Stephenson on a "win-win" homeland security strategy

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 11:43:10 -0500
From: "W. David Stephenson" <D.Stephenson () stephensonstrategies com>
Organization: Stephenson Strategies
To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
Subject: my piece in today's NW on win-win homeland security strategy

To: Declan McCullagh
From: W. David Stephenson

This week's Network World carries  a column by me on win-win, tech-based, 
public-private homeland security strategies.
--W. David Stephenson

This story appeared on Network World Fusion at
<http://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0112stephenson.html>http://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0112stephenson.html


Op-ed:
Corporate homeland security a win-win

By W. David Stephenson
Network World, 01/12/04

Many corporations have been less than enthusiastic about new homeland 
security responsibilities, which they see as threatening to disrupt 
just-in-time manufacturing strategies, impose new costs and introduce yet 
another set of regulations. There were similar complaints when 
environmental regulations were imposed in the 1970s and 1980s. Yet, by the 
early 1990s, companies such as DuPont and 3M had gained a competitive 
advantage by adopting waste-reduction strategies that were good for the 
environment and the bottom line.

I believe a similar paradigm shift, from viewing homeland security as a 
costly burden to seeing it as a competitive advantage, is possible. There 
are three benefits to companies taking the lead on homeland security 
strategies that don't just meet the letter of the law, but do so in a 
synergistic way:

• Increased collaboration. Sept. 11 dramatically reminded us of the 
consequences for security of not "connecting the dots." However, companies 
already were paying a high price for lack of coordination, especially in 
logistics and supply-chain management, which made it nearly impossible for 
everyone in the supply chain to know on a real-time basis where a container 
was and what it held. Now 65 companies in the shipping and logistics field 
have formed the Smart and Secure Trade Lanes Initiative (SST) to create an 
end-to-end, supply-chain security system. The collaboration will integrate 
data flow that will help homeland security agencies collaborate to reduce 
container risks. Equally important from the commercial standpoint, it will 
allow sharing of data to overcome the lack of integration in the shipping 
and logistics industry.

• Error reduction. Dual-use technologies can reduce both the chance that a 
terrorist will slip into the country and that vital cargo will get lost on 
a railroad siding somewhere. The SST system exceeds the new U.S. Customs 
requirement that manifests for cargo from foreign ports be reported a full 
day before departure. It also lets participating companies get 
chain-of-custody audit trails of the containers' history that can be used 
to improve supply chains' structure and efficiency.

• Employee empowerment. Both homeland security and smart companies need 
empowered individuals who can get the information they need to act 
intelligently. Subsets of XML are critical to global business and emergency 
response, letting those who need information from diverse sources access 
them on a real-time basis, seamlessly. EmXML, the emergency notification 
standard that is under development, will let first responders, security 
officials, public health agency officials and others immediately share 
critical information during an emergency. EbXML, the business standard, 
will streamline business operations, setting global standards for 
exchanging business messages, establishing trading relationships, 
communicating data in common terms, and defining and registering business 
processes. The more extensive the adoption of both schemas, the more 
valuable each will be.

Both economic globalization and the war on terror require that we adopt new 
technologies and attitudes. Creative companies will get beyond their 
frustrations with new regulations and responsibilities to gain a 
competitive advantage through strategies that cut risk and pay economic 
dividends.

Stephenson is a strategic communication consultant specializing in homeland 
security. He can be reached at 
<mailto:D.Stephenson () Stephensonstrategies com>D.Stephenson () Stephensonstrategies com.



--
W. David Stephenson
<mailto:D.Stephenson () Stephensonstrategies com>D.Stephenson () Stephensonstrategies com
Stephenson Strategies
335 Main St.
Medfield, MA 02052
(508) 359-5112

Communication strategies that cut costs, increase sales, and create 
long-term customer relationships.
(:o (|)

"You could sift the Internet for bits of advice, or you could turn to the 
Stephenson Strategies/ Town Compass series of homeland security guides for 
hand-held computers to find advice on the hazards all in one place." 
Congressional Quarterly's CQ Homeland 
Security 
<http://www.pocketdirectory.com/software/product.aspx?idProduct=32026>http://www.pocketdirectory.com/software/product.aspx?idProduct=32026



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