Conflict resolution in supply chain security

Right after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the US government defined and implemented several security-oriented initiatives to prevent another terror attack. Two of the most known are the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terror (C-TPAT). The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the United Nations (UN) have implemented collaborative, multination initiatives to promote security awareness worldwide and increase the resilience of supply chains to terror attacks. The results achieved to date in the international crusade against terrorism suggest that supply chain security is a global, multidisciplinary issue that must be addressed through collaboration and partnerships. Collaboration, however, involves conflict situations, which result naturally from the interaction of cooperating parties. These conflicts must be timely resolved through cost-effective and well-synchronised actions. This paper introduces a mathematical tool for conflict resolution based on conflict modelling and analysis.