After Sept. 11, border security became a key priority in the United States, one that has been addressed effectively by the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism, or C-TPAT, according to a report released last week.
The University's Center for Survey Research released the results of a study on the development and effectiveness of the program indicating that it has been "very effective," according to former CSR Director David E. Hartman?.
The idea for this government partnership took shape in November 2001, according to Erlinda Byrd, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press officer.
C-TPAT is "a partnership between government and business to secure the supply chain" she explained.
The voluntary program consists of different types of companies, including importers, manufacturers and shippers and has expanded to include more than 7,000 private companies, Hartman said.
The key to the C-TPAT program is the participating companies' "self-policing of goods," said Thomas Guterbock, a University professor and CSR director.
Byrd explained that the program provides benefits for participating companies that meet its regulations, thus giving companies an incentive to monitor security along the supply chain. Companies that follow the C-TPAT guidelines benefit from faster and more predictable deliveries, Hartman said.
The program has proven successful during the past several years, according to Hartman, who said more than half of the participants reported that benefits "were equal to or outweighed the cost" of C-TPAT.
Guterbock said the study itself was extremely technical and one of the more challenging studies that has been undertaken by the center.
This marks the first time that a survey of this kind was conducted, although Hartman forecasted that he would be continuing research in the future.
"This survey is ... just the beginning" he said, adding that with each new survey, there will be "more opportunities to make the supply chain secure."
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